Ermentraut (variants include Irmentraut, Ermantraut, Ehrmantraut and Ehrmanntraut) is a rare German surname. Further Americanized variant spellings include ''Ermentrout'', ''Armentrout'', ''Armintrout'', ''Armantrout'' and ''Armontrout''.

History

The ''Dictionary of American Family Names'' derives it from a feminine

German given name Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname''). The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the "Name order, ...

''Irmtraut'', ''Irmentrud'' (equivalent to Anglo-Saxon ''Ermendrud''), originally from the

Germanic name Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements ( stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from ', meaning "noble", and ', meaning "counsel". The i ...

elements '' Irmin'' (a Germanic god, son of

Mannus Mannus, according to the Roman writer Tacitus, was a figure in the creation Germanic mythology, myths of the Germanic tribes. Tacitus is the only source of these myths. This is a university textbook and exists in several variants printed for d ...

) plus '' thrud'' "strength". The variant ''Ehrmantraut'' suggests a folk etymological connection to '' ehr-'' "honour". The derivation of German surnames from feminine given names is unusual, and at least the name ''Irmtraut'', but possibly also the ''Ermentraut'' varieties, is instead derived from the ''von Irmtraut'' (''von Ermetrode'') family, members of the German lower nobility, first recorded in 1215. In this case, ''Irmtraut'' is a locational surname, derived from the name of the Irmtraut, a settlement first recorded in 879 as ''Ermetrode'', as part of

Lahngau The Lahngau was a medieval territory comprising the middle and lower Lahn River valley in the current German states of Hesse and (partially) Rhineland-Palatinate. The traditional names of the Gau are ''Loganahe Pagus'' or ''Pagus Logenensis''. Th ...

(the modern spelling ''Irmtraut'' dates to 1578). The form ''Ermetrode'' suggests that the later spelling in ''-traut'' is a folk etymological connection to the feminine names in ''-trude'' "strength", while the original toponym was formed in ''-rode'', a frequent suffix in Carolingian-era foundations meaning "clearing". The toponym ''Ermetrode'' (''Irmtraut'') is thus from ''ermet'' "poverty" (modern '' Armut'') and '' rode'' "clearing", referring to a patch of poor farmland.Ernst Förstemann, ''Altdeutsche Personennamen Ergänzungsband'', Wilhelm Fink Verlag (1968), p. 108. Members of the von Irmtraut family served as reeves in

Westerburg Westerburg () is a small town of roughly 6,000 inhabitants in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is named after the castle built on a hill above the medieval town centre (''Burg'' is German for “castle”) Geograph ...

. The noble family was extinct in the male line in 1741, but Prince-elector Charles Theodore transferred the name to the ''von Werkamp'' family, because they were descended from the ''von Irmtraut'' in the female line. This family was extinct in 1913. The presence of the surname in America is recorded for 1739, with the arrival in Philadelphia of one Anna Elizabeth Ermentraudt (née Hain). Anna Elizabeth Ermentraudt moved to

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

, Virginia with her second son, Johan Phillip Ermentraudt, in 1752. Under the spelling ''Armentrout'', her descendants became land-owners in

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham Cou ...

.Russell S. Armentrout, ''Armentrout Family History, 1739–1978'', Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society (1980).

Notable people

People with the surname include: *

Daniel Ermentrout Daniel Ermentrout (January 24, 1837 – September 17, 1899) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district from 1881 to 1889 and ...

(1837–1899), American politician * Franz Anton Ermeltraut ( de), also ''Ermentraut'' (1717–1767), Baroque painter in Würzburg * George Bard Ermentrout (b. 1954), American mathematician *

Horst Ehrmantraut Horst Ehrmantraut (born 11 December 1955) is a German former professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unq ...

(b. 1955), German footballer * Jennifer Armintrout (b. 1980), American writer * Jennifer L. Armentrout (b. 1980), American writer * Peter B. Armentrout (born 1953), American chemist Fictional characters: *

Mike Ehrmantraut Michael Ehrmantraut () is a fictional character portrayed by Jonathan Banks in the television series ''Breaking Bad'' and its spinoff prequel ''Better Call Saul''. Mike is a private investigator, head of security, cleaner, and hitman who works f ...

, character in ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...

'' and ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...

'' * Stacey Ehrmantraut, character in ''

'' and ''

'' * Kaylee Ehrmantraut, character in ''

'' and ''

References

{{surname German-language surnames

History

Notable people

See also

References