Surname Borngässer - Meaning and Origin
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Borngässer: What does the surname Borngässer mean?
The last name Borngässer is a German surname meaning "born in the house of the goose." It is likely derived from two distinct words; borng, meaning "born" and gässer, meaning "goose". The surname likely originated during a time when people would use nicknames based on the type of house they lived in, such as the house of the goose.
Borngässer is an uncommon surname and is not usually found outside of certain parts of Germany, typically in southwestern Germany near the borders of the Czech Republic and Switzerland. It is likely that members of the Borngässer family originally hailed from this general area, suggesting that the surname has ancient roots in this part of the country.
The name can also be found in the United States, as both an ascribed name bestowed upon German immigrant families, and as an Anglicized variation, such as Bornhouser or Bornehouse.
Given the rarity of the Borngässer name, it is likely that anyone of that name can trace their lineage back to the same family group. As such, the Borngässers constitute an old and venerable clan, stretching back many generations. That the family used a German animal name as the root of their surname is indicative of the traditional, nature-based origin of the Borngässers that still resonates today.
Order DNA origin analysisBorngässer: Where does the name Borngässer come from?
The last name Borngässer is typically associated with the Rhineland region of Germany, particularly in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia its capital city, Düsseldorf. It is one of the most common surnames in this region. In fact, the name is so popular that in the mid-2000s, the Düsseldorf-based newspaper Rheinische Post conducted an extensive survey of Germany’s top 10 local last names. Amazingly, Borngässer came in first place.
It is also fairly common further afield in Germany, in Hesse and Bavaria. In the former, the Darmstadt area is an especially popular location for the name while in the latter, it is often found in both the Upper and Lower Palatinate regions.
Further afield, the surname is particularly common in the United States. Here, the states of California, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are particularly popular locations for Borngässers.
No matter where it is encountered, the last name Borngässer is typically of German origin. Specifically, it is a toponymic surname derived from both the Rhineland region of northwestern Germany, as well as the many places bearing the name Borngässer scattered throughout this part of the world.
Variations of the surname Borngässer
The surname Borngässer has a few different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Borngässer is a German and Swiss surname which is derived from the Middle German words “bor”, meaning “borne” or “given”, and “geisser”, meaning “goat herder” or “goatherd”.
Variants of the surname Borngässer include Borngaesser, Bargasser, Bergasser, Borgasser, Borggasser, Borngasser, and Bornhareer. The surname is also sometimes spelled as Borgässer or Burgasser.
The surnames Bornhauser, Börngesser, Bieger, and Bornhausser are all related to Borngässer, as they all have the same origin in the German and Swiss countries.
All of these surnames are also closely related to the German word “Bär”, meaning “bear”, due to the commonality of bear-related names in the area. This is likely due to the prevalence of bears in German and Swiss cultures.
Altogether, the surname Borngässer has a few different variations, spellings, and related surnames of the same origin. It is possible that the name was derived from a Middle German word that referred to the occupation of goat herding, or from a word that is related to bears. No matter the origin, all of the variants and other related surnames all fall under the same umbrella.
Famous people with the name Borngässer
- Thomas Borngässer: A German television presenter and journalist.
- Thomas J. Borngässer: An Austrian philosopher and professor at the University of Cologne.
- Christina Borngässer: An Austrian woman best known for her role as a Witch in the movie “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone”.
- Paul Borngässer: An architect who designed several buildings in Germany during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Johann Borngässer: A German painter who specialized in landscapes and still lifes from the 18th to the 19th centuries.
- Eva-Maria Borngässer: An Austrian mathematician and academic who holds a degree in mathematics from the University of Vienna.
- Andreas Borngässer: A German author who wrote the book “Der Bauer und de Werker”.
- Sebastian Borngässer: An Austrian film composer who wrote extensively for the screen and theatre.
- Carola Borngässer: A German singer-songwriter who has recorded several albums since the 1980s.
- Johann Georg Borngässer: A German organ builder in the 19th century who made church organs for German churches.