Show ContentsDreiling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Dreiling

What does the name Dreiling mean?

The distinguished surname Dreiling is of German origin. The name is derived from the Old Germanic word "Dreier," literally meaning "a group of three," which generally referred to a local committee made up of three people which passed laws for the local townships; it is likely that the progenitor of the name was a member of such a group. Alternatively, the name may be derived from "Dreher," meaning "lathe-hand or turner"; in this instance, the name would have been originally borne by a practitioner of this profession.

Early Origins of the Dreiling family

The surname Dreiling was first found in Bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. The origins of the name make it likely that several branches of the family emerged independently during this early period. The first known bearer of the name was L. Dreghere, who lived in Hannover in 1348.

Early History of the Dreiling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dreiling research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1688 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Dreiling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dreiling Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dreyer, Dreier, Dreigher, Dreger, Dreher, Driggs, Dreiger and many more.

Early Notables of the Dreiling family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dreiling Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dreiling Ranking

In the United States, the name Dreiling is the 11,084th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Dreiling migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dreiling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alois Dreiling, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1875 2
  • Anton Dreiling, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1875 2
  • Barbara Dreiling, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1875 2
  • Catharina Dreiling, aged 8, who landed in New York in 1875 2
  • Catherina Dreiling, aged 5, who landed in New York in 1875 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dreiling (post 1700) +

  • Nate Dreiling (b. 1990), American FXFL football linebacker for the Omaha Mammoths
  • Gregory Alan Dreiling (b. 1962), retired American silver medalist professional basketball player


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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