Show ContentsDilg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Dilg

What does the name Dilg mean?

The surname Dilg is derived from the personal name Odilia, the patron saint of the Alsace. Odilia was shortened into the diminutive form Dilia, and then it was shortened again to Dilg. There is a double diminutive form and the suffix "er" was sometimes added to the name. Patronymic surnames, such as Dilg, arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. In the religious naming tradition, which was developed later than the vernacular tradition, surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, theChristian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Dilg family

The surname Dilg was first found in Swabia, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. The name comes from Odilia, patron saint of the Alsace, and it soon took the form of Dilia, and thence Dilg. Records reveal that a Mathis Dilger lived in Tuebingen in 1456.

Early History of the Dilg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dilg research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1771 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Dilg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dilg Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dilg, Dilger, Dilge, Tilgner (Silesia) and others.

Early Notables of the Dilg family

Notables with the surname Dilg during this period were

  • Johann Philipp Dilg, a high-ranking civil official, who was ennobled in 1818


Dilg migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dilg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Augustus Dilg, who arrived in St Clair County, III in 1834 1
  • Louis Dilg, who settled in Philadelphia in 1836
  • William Dilg, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1836
  • George Phil Dilg, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1854 1
  • John N Dilg, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1856 1
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dilg (post 1700) +

  • Joseph C Dilg, American lawyer
  • Herbert A. Dilg, American Republican politician, Village President of Morton Grove, Illinois, 1925, 1935-42; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1944 2
  • Nicole Dilg Beachum, American researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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