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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Jewish (Ashkenazic) : elaborated form of Alter or Alt (from the inflected form).
  • Respelling of German Altermann, a status name for the head of a craft guild. Compare English Alderman, which was also used in this sense.
  • Belgian : habitational name for someone from Aalter in East Flanders.

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