Eitniear is a very uncommon last name in most places, but
where we live it is as common as Smith or Jones. I decided to do a bit of
research of “Eitniear” as a surname just to see where we likely came from and
this is what I learned:
One hundred percent of all individuals with the surname of
Eitniear live in the United States.[i]
With this in mind, it is hard to decipher where we actually came from, as white
man did not originate in America. So, I read a bit further to learn that our
last name is probably a alteration of the German name of Eitner.[ii]
At this point I learn that 14% of Eitner’s live in Argentina, 29% in Germany,
and 57% in United States.[iii]
Now I seem to be getting somewhere, with so many Eitniear’s
in my family tree we had to begin somewhere and Argentina, once being a place
for War Criminals seems unlikely. I would say guess that our roots begin in
Germany. Even the American derivative of the name Eitniear seems German, many
people unfamiliar with the name pronounce it Eit-nower, it certainly sounds
German when you say it that way.
So how did the name get changed? Spelling variations over
the years? I know, I know, Ellis Island changed the name. No, no, no! It is
most likely the way that someone from Germany spelled the name, possibly in an
effort to be Americanized. But, that’s just my guess.
At any rate, the name, “Eitner” is a form of “Eite,” the
German form of Agatha.[iv]
So, my daughter’s name now means “Pure Angel Agatha” ugh, we thought Eitniear
meant Angel, so her name meant Pure Angel Angel. We were trying to make her
extra special sweet and loving when we named her.
My daughter is now having a meltdown because our last name
means Agatha. In interest of keeping her together I will research Agatha: to
make a long story short, Agatha means good.[v]
When telling my daughter our last name means good I got a thumb up. Score for
mom! I have saved the day!
I will now rest my weary fingers, and hang up my cape until
tomorrow when I post another blog entry. J
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