Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Mueller” come from?

Mueller is an English surname derived from Old High German mulināri, meaning miller or one who operates a mill.

Ancestry of “Mueller”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanMüllermiller
2Middle High Germanmülnære—
3Old High Germanmulināri—
4Proto-Germanic*mulīnārī—
5Latinmolīnārius—
6Latinmolīnum—
7Latinmolīnus—
8Latinmolamillstone; mill; ground meal
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
10Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
11Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →