Surname Apenzeller - Meaning and Origin
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Apenzeller: What does the surname Apenzeller mean?
The last name Apenzeller originates from a region in Switzerland called the Appenzell. The name is derived from the words "aben" and "zell" which translate to “at the cell”. This refers to a Roman hilltop village near the village of Herisau, where people lived in small settlements, or “cells”.
Apenzeller is a surname used by many families in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia. It is a very common surname in Appenzell, and has been found in documents of nobility and taxation records as far back as the 14th century. Today, many Apenzellers are still located in the Appenzell region where the name was first recorded.
The Apenzeller name is often seen in German and Swiss military records, primarily from the 19th century, when the nation was divided into cantons. In Switzerland, it is also often found in the records of the University of Basel, where many Apenzeller surname holders earned degrees in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Apenzeller surname is associated with hard work and determination. Many Apenzellers have become successful entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, and professionals, while others have left impressive legacies as politicians, civil servants, soldiers and members of the clergy. No matter their profession, the Apenzeller name is one of determination and strength, still intact today as it was centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisApenzeller: Where does the name Apenzeller come from?
The last name Apenzeller is most common today in Switzerland. This name is derived from the Swiss German term ‘apenzeller’, which means ‘apple seller’. It was a name given to someone who sold apples for a living in a certain region.
In Switzerland, the name Apenzeller is most common in the eastern parts of the country, particularly in the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell, and Glarus. The name is most popular in rural villages and small towns and is likely to be found more frequently in these areas.
The name Apenzeller is also found in certain parts of the United States, especially in Wisconsin, where it appears in the 1785 Wisconsin State Census. It is also found in Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. The name is also recorded in Australia, and Canada and other European countries.
The Apenzells are thought to have migrated to the United States and other countries in the late 19th century or early 20th century, as part of the large Swiss immigrant wave. This wave brought with it both immigrants and seeds of Swiss culture, including the last name Apenzeller.
Today, the name Apenzeller is still associated with Switzerland and its culture. It stands as a reminder of the long Swiss history and of the many apple sellers who used to roam the Swiss countryside.
Variations of the surname Apenzeller
The surname Apenzeller is believed to have originated in Germany. The name is also found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. The most common spelling is Apenzeller, but there are several other variants and spellings. These include Apenzeller, Appenzeller, Openseller, Apflenzeller, Aipflenzeller, Appelzeller, Apfelzeller, Appfelzeller, and Abspflenzeller.
In Switzerland, the surname is most commonly known as Appenzeller, and is derived from the Old French word “apert”, meaning “open” or “wide”, combined with the word “zeller”, meaning “seller”. This indicates that the earliest Apenzellers were merchants.
In Germany, the spelling is typically Apenzeller, and is a combination of the words “appen”, meaning “work” or “trade”, and “zeller”, meaning “seller”. This indicates that in Germany, Apenzellers were likely to have been merchants or tradesmen.
In the Netherlands, the surname is spelled Appelzeller. This spelling is a combination of the Dutch words “appel”, meaning “apple”, and “zeller”, meaning “seller”. This suggests that the surname was derived from a profession of selling apples.
In Belgium, the surname is spelled Openseller. This spelling is derived from the French words “open”, meaning “open”, and “seller”, meaning “seller”, indicating that the Apenzellers may have had roots in a vocation involving the sale of open goods.
The surname Apenzeller is also found in the United States, most commonly with the spelling Apenzeller. Immigrants to the US at the turn of the 20th century initiated the spread of the surname in America.
Famous people with the name Apenzeller
- Johann Jakob Apenzeller (1801-1873), Swiss theologian
- Werner Apenzeller (1923-1995), Swiss watercolor painter
- Else Apenzeller (1910-2009), Swiss abstract expressionist artist
- Carlos Apenzeller (b. 1974), Brazilian sports administrator
- José Alfredo Apenzeller (b. 1940), Mexican ice hockey coach
- Giovanni Farina Apenzeller (b. 1893), Italian aviator and aerospace scientist
- Shmuel Apenzeller (1914-1996), Israeli politician
- May Apenzeller (1901-1985), German botanist
- Stephan Apenzeller (1902-1989), German mountaineer
- Horst Walter Apenzeller (1929-2017), German geodesist and cartographer