Mettler
A surname of German origin, probably from a shortened personal name rather than an occupation.
The #9,929 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 94,999 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical references point to Mettler as a German family name, but they do not give a fully secure derivation. It is likely an abbreviated or reduced form of a longer German personal name beginning with Madal-, Math-, or a similar element, rather than a straightforward word for a trade or place. The old scholarship treats it alongside other short German surnames formed by truncation, so the literal original meaning is uncertain.
History
The name is found in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname lists as one of several shortened forms in the same family of names. The sources suggest it was already established in the German tradition by the early modern period. In the United States, Mettler is uncommon but not rare, reflecting later immigration from German-speaking Europe.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The 19th-century references place Mettler among a cluster of surnames that seem to have been shortened over time, which makes it a useful example of how German surnames can lose syllables and still remain distinct.
From the historical record
“FN. Madalhart: Mählert — Meklhari. Madalher: Modaler; Madler — Matt- ier — Mettler — Mädler — Mäkler. Einstämmige Kürzung Madal-. Madalo, Male: MahU — Madel — Mehle; Mehl, Patr. A. Madelung; Madehng — Mehling. Vklf. (k):”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen