Browse Surnames

Etymology and OriginKempf is a German surname, serving as a cognate of Kemp. Its roots trace back to the Middle High German word kempfe, meaning “warrior” or “fighter,” which itself derives from Old High German kempho. T...

Kerner is a German occupational surname derived from the Old High German word kerno, meaning "seed." It originally referred to someone who sold or planted seeds, such as a seed merchant or a farmer involved in sowing. Th...

Kerper is a German surname, most likely a variant of Gerber, an occupational name meaning "tanner, leather dresser." The name Gerber derives from Old High German garawen "to prepare," referencing the processing of animal...

Kiefer is a German occupational surname that refers to a barrel maker. The name derives from the Old High German kuofa, meaning "barrel", paired with the agent suffix -er. Thus, a Kiefer was someone who crafted barrels,...

Etymology and OriginKiefer 1 is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word kiefer, meaning "pine tree." It is classed as a topographic name, originally given to someone who lived near a prominent pine tree...

Kirch is a German surname, a cognate of the English surname Church. Both derive from words meaning "church"—English from Old English cirice (ultimately from Greek kuriakon, "(house) of the lord") and German from Middle H...

Kirchner is a German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word kirchenaere, meaning "sexton" — a person responsible for the maintenance of a church building and its grounds. The term could also refer...

Kistler is a German occupational surname that originally referred to a "chest maker" or "cabinetmaker", derived from Middle High German kiste, meaning "chest." The name belongs to a class of German surnames that arose fr...

Kistner is a German occupational surname, functioning as a variant of Kistler. The root name Kistler derives from Middle High German kiste, meaning "chest" or "crate," thus referring to a chest maker or cabinetmaker. Kis...

Klassen is a German patronymic surname meaning "son of Klaus". The suffix -sen indicates 'son of', a common pattern in northern German and Low German surnames. The root name Klaus is a German short form of Nicholas, whic...

Kleber is a German surname derived from the German word kleben meaning "to bind, to stick." It originated as an occupational name for someone who applied daub (a mixture of clay, sand, and straw) to the walls of timber-f...

Klein is a surname of German, Dutch, and Yiddish origin. The name is derived from the German or Yiddish word klein or kleyn, meaning "small" or "little", and is a cognate with the English surname Little. Often, the name...

Klossner is a surname of German origin, specifically from Swiss German, derived from the occupational term Klausner. In Middle High German, klosenære meant "hermit", referring to a recluse or religious ascetic who lived...

Etymology Knef is a German surname of occupational origin. It derives from the Low German word knif, meaning "shoemaker's knife," and therefore referred to a shoemaker by trade. The name reflects a common onomastic patte...

Kneib is a German surname. It is a variant of Knef, which is an occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from the Low German word knif meaning "shoemaker's knife."The name likely originated in the northern regions of G...

Kneller is a surname of German origin. It originated as a nickname for a noisy or disruptive person, derived from the Old German word knellen, meaning "to make noise, or to cause a disturbance." Etymology The root of the...

Knepp is a German surname, most commonly a variant of Knopf, which means "button" in German. The name originally designated a button maker or a button seller, fitting into the class of occupational surnames derived from...

Knochenmus is a German surname with a highly descriptive origin rooted in the country's rich history of tradeside nicknames. The name directly translates from German Knochen ("bone") and Mus ("sauce" or "mush"), forming...

Knopf is a German surname meaning "button" in German. It originally belonged to a button maker or button seller, reflecting the German tradition of occupational surnames. The name is related to variants such as Knepp and...

Knopp is a German surname that originated as a variant of Knopf, which literally means “button” in German. It was applied as an occupational name for a button maker or button seller. Examples of the variant form Knepp al...

Koch is a German occupational surname, the cognate of the English surname Cook. Derived from the German word for "cook," it ultimately traces back to the Latin coquus, meaning "cook." The surname is common among German-s...

Koenig is a German cognate of the English surname King. It is a variant of the German surname 'König,' in which the umlaut 'ö' is often replaced by 'oe' in English-language contexts. Derived from the Middle High German '...

Koenigsmann is a German surname, a variant spelling of Königsmann, which means "king's man" (German König 'king' + Mann 'man'). The name likely originated as an occupational or status name for a person in the service of...

Kohl is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word kol, meaning "cabbage". This occupational or metonymic surname likely originated as a nickname for a cabbage farmer or seller, or perhaps for someone with...

Köhl is an Upper German surname. It serves as a metaphonic variant of the more common surname Kohl, and the two spellings are largely interchangeable in historical contexts. The change from "Kohl" to "Köhl" reflects the...

Kohler is a German occupational surname, most commonly an English transliteration of the umlauted variant Köhler. The name originates from the Middle High German term koler, meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller,...

Köhler is a German occupational surname literally meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller". It is a variant of Kohler, with the umlaut over the "o" reflecting a common German spelling variation. The name derives fr...

Kolbe is a German surname. The name derives from the Middle High German word kolbe, meaning "club". This likely originated as an occupational or nickname for someone who carried or wielded a club, or possibly comes from...

König is a German surname (pronounced [ˈkøːnɪç]), the German cognate of the English King — both derive from a word meaning 'ruler' or 'leader'. In German, the umlaut over the 'o' often prompts transliterations such as Ko...

Etymology and OriginKönigsmann is a German surname composed of two elements: König, meaning “king,” and Mann, meaning “man.” The name translates to “king’s man” and has multiple potential origins. It could refer to a ret...

EtymologyKopp is a German surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Jakob, the German form of Jacob. The name Jacob ultimately comes from the Hebrew Yaʿaqov, meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel," referr...

Kraemer is a German surname, a variant of Krämer. The root name Krämer means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post". As a variant spelling, Kraemer shares the sam...

Krämer is a German occupational surname meaning "shopkeeper" or "merchant", derived from the Middle High German kræmer, itself from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post". The name originally referred to a sma...

Krantz is a surname of German origin, considered a variant of Kranz, which derives from Old High German kranz meaning "wreath". This etymology points to an occupational name for a maker of wreaths, though among Jewish co...

Kranz is a German surname, derived from the Middle High German word kranz, meaning "wreath" or "garland." The term itself traces back to Old High German kranz, of uncertain origin but likely related to the root of Kringe...

Kraus is a German-language surname derived from Middle High German krus meaning “curly,” originally used as a nickname for a person with curly hair. The name is common in German-speaking countries as well as in the Unite...

Krause is a common German surname, a variant of Kraus. Both names derive from the Middle High German adjective krus, meaning "curly," originally used as a nickname for a person with curly hair.Etymology and VariantsThe s...

Krauss is a German surname, derived as a variant of Kraus, from Middle High German krus meaning "curly", originally a nickname for a person with curly hair. The suffix -ss in Krauss is a common German orthographic varian...

Krauß is a German surname, a variant spelling of the more common surname Kraus. Both derive from the Middle High German word krus meaning "curly", referring to a nickname for someone with curly hair. The ß character (cal...

Krebs is a German and Danish surname meaning "crab," likely originating as a nickname for someone with a crab-like gait or temperament. In German, the word also denotes the zodiac sign Cancer and the disease, but the sur...

Etymology Kröger is a German surname, a variant of Krüger. In northern Germany, Krüger is an occupational name for a tavern keeper, derived from Middle Low German kroch meaning “tavern.” The surname is also written as Kr...

Kron is a surname of German and Swedish origin, derived from the words Krone (German) and krona (Swedish), meaning "crown" (from Latin corona). It likely originated as a nickname for someone who worked in a royal househo...

Krückel is a German surname with origins as a nickname. It derives from the Middle High German word krücke, meaning “cane” or crutch. The name was likely given to a person who walked with a limp or used a cane, often ref...

Krüger 1 is a German occupational surname meaning "tavern keeper", derived from the Middle Low German word kroch, meaning "tavern". In northern Germany, this name was originally given to innkeepers or tavern owners, as t...

Kruger is a surname of German origin, a variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2. The name Krüger emerged as a common occupational surname in German-speaking regions during the Middle Ages. Etymology and Origins The meaning of K...

Krüger is a German surname with a strong occupational origin, primarily found in southern Germany. It derives from the Middle High German word kruoc, meaning "jug" or "pot," and was used as a name for a potter—someone wh...

Kruse is a German surname, predominantly found in northern Germany and among German-speaking communities worldwide. It is a variant of Kraus, which itself derives from Middle High German krus, meaning "curly." Originally...

Küchler is a German occupational surname for a baker who specialized in making small cakes or cookies. The name derives from the Middle High German word kuoche meaning "cake" or "pastry". It belongs to the category of su...

Kuhn is a German surname with roots in a diminutive form of the given name Konrad. Konrad itself evolved from the Old High German elements kuoni "brave" and rat "counsel", thus giving the name the meaning of "brave couns...

Kundert is a German surname with topographic and patronymic origins. It is derived from the given name Konrad, which itself comes from the Old High German elements kuoni "brave" and rat "counsel, advice", meaning "brave...

Kunkel is a German occupational surname referring to a maker of distaffs, stemming from Middle High German kunkel meaning "distaff, spindle." The word itself derives from Latin roots, reflecting the historical textile tr...

Kunkle is a German surname, being a variant of Kunkel.EtymologyThe root name Kunkel derives from Middle High German kunkel, meaning "distaff" or "spindle"—a tool used in spinning thread. This term itself comes from Latin...

Kuntz is a German surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad, which itself is a German, Scandinavian, Polish and Slovene form of Conrad. The root name Conrad comes from Old Germanic elements kuoni meaning...

Kunz is a German surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad. The name Konrad itself originates from the Old High German elements kuoni meaning "brave" and rat meaning "counsel, advice," giving the name th...

Kunze is a German surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad. Konrad itself is the German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Slovene form of Conrad, which means "brave counsel" from Old German elements kuoni "bra...

Kurz is a German surname meaning "short," derived from the Middle High German kurz of the same meaning, ultimately from Latin curtus ("shortened, cut short"). Originally a nickname for a short person, it sometimes also d...

Kurzmann is a German surname of descriptive origin. In German, Kurz means "short" and Mann means "man", so the name literally translates to "short man" or "short person". It is classified as a descriptive surname, which...

Lafrentz is a German surname derived from the given name Lorenz, the German form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1). The name ultimately originates from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum," a city in anci...

Lafrenz is a German surname derived from the given name Lorenz, which is itself the German form of Laurence 1. The name ultimately traces back to the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum", a city in ancient...

Landau is a German surname derived from the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany. The name originates from the Old High German elements land ("land") and ouwa ("valley" or "water meadow"), meaning "land val...