The famous lyric poet Walther von der Vogelweide, who was born in 1170, wrote about "die Dueringe und die Sachsen" (the Thuringians and the Saxonians), making it evident, that Duering (or the more common Doering or Doehring) being the old term for Thuringian. Thanks to the Dorgerloh clan of Germany for tipping me off to this wonderful poet and lyricist, and I also want to thank Peter Krahmer, Wuerzburg, Germany, for furnishing snippets of, and translations of, Vogelweide's work. Remember, German ü = ue in English, ß = ss, and ä = ae.

"Der in den oren siech von ungesühte si,der ist min rat, der laz den hof ze Dürengen fri, wan kummet er dar, deswar er wirt ertoeret." [Mittelhochdeutsch, 1215 A.D., w.v.d. Vogelweide]

"Wer gehoerempfinglich ist, der meide, rate ich, den Hof zu Thüringen, denn kommt er dorthin, wird er bestimmt taub werden." [Neuhochdeutsch]

"Loudness made people coming to the court of Thueringen lose their sense of hearing." [English translation]

"Der Dürenge bluome schinet dur den sne, sumer und winter blüet sin lop als in den ersten jaren." [Mittelhochdeutsch, 1215 A.D., w.v.d. Vogelweide]

"Thüringens Blüte leuchtet durch den Schnee, und gleichmäßig erstrahlt sein Glanz auch heute noch sommers wie winters." [Neuhochdeutsch]

"The flower of Thuringia shines through the snow, Summer and winter she flourishes successfully." [English]

NOTE: A term of slang is used in and around Thuringia. It is "dueringa", which means Thüringa, or the English spelling--Thuringia. So if we take the name Dueringer, someone from Wuerzburg would translate it as a man from "Dueringa", or Thüringa; another way to say it in German is "thueringer mann", or in English, man from Thuringia. Evidently there are Dueringer families in and around Wuerzburg and Thuringia today.