Post
by jayman » Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:30 am
Do you know where they came from?
Their names are interesting, but they are not usual in my area.
Most german names have a historic meaning.
In the early middle age, most people lived countryside and the villages had often less than a few hundred habitants.
For a long time, the people had only one name, either an old German name or a name from the bible.
When the population grew, the people noticed, that there are some of them with the same name.
What could be done, to discern them?
Very easy, the people gave them Nicknames caused by their characteristics.
So for example for their look, character trait or just where they live or which profession they had.
So there was an Adam "the little" - Adam Little, an Adam "the lovely" ("lieblich" in german), Adam "from the hill" - Adam Hill and an Adam "the Miller".
But some words from the old german language got lost in time, so you have no idea, what their meaning is.
Others just changed the diction, so that their is no more relation to their old meaning.
Yes, I know, I admit, onomastic is a little hobby from me.
When I was a kid, any time I heard a name I aksed myself whar it means.
But back to toppic:
Hilgenberg is drectly translated "Hilgenmountain".
I don´t know a mountain with the name Hilgen, but Hilgen sounds very german.
I think, that Hilgen is or was the name of an old german city or village.
Very likely your ancestors from this side came from Hilgen.
Altergott is unusual too.
Directly translated means it "Oldgod".
This opens a couple of posibilities.
May be your ancestor from this side has been a preacher or was very religious.
Maybe he didn´t want to change his religion in the middle age and he adhered to the "old gods" in Germany.
If you are interested in, send me a P.M. and I will grub a little.
