Eder
A German and Austrian surname often linked to someone who lived near an Ede/Öde, meaning a barren or uncultivated place.
The #8,562 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,256 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In German surname work, Eder is commonly treated as a form related to older Öder, from Öde, meaning a waste, barren, or uncultivated place. It likely began as a topographic name for someone who lived by such land. In some German dialect areas, the spelling later simplified from Öder to Eder.
History
The historical notes supplied point especially to Bavarian and broader German usage, with one source saying the name occurs in Bavaria and another describing people who were called Öder for living in barren ground. German surname collections also show many compound forms built on the same element, such as Obereder and Niedereder. The name should not be confused with unrelated surnames like Eade or Eden in other language traditions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century source remarks that the spelling Eder became standard in some places even though older records still show Öder.
From the historical record
“'OJ,S. JJ4, Beader,B«eder. — Occup. 'the reeder,' i.e. a Ihatcher, 'Redare of howsys, talamalor': Prompt. Parv. Naturally we find a ' Rober- tas Brown, redere,' in the Guild of St George, Norwich.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances