Surname Chmiel - Meaning and Origin
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Chmiel: What does the surname Chmiel mean?
The last name Chmiel is derived from the Polish noun chmiel, meaning "hops". The use of this name as a surname likely originated in the Middle Ages when hops were a highly sought after commodity used in the production of beer.
The name Chmiel is believed to be a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of hops, or someone who made their living from such a trade. During the medieval times, the surname Chmiel was found predominately in the region of northern Poland.
The surname Chmiel is still very common in Poland today, having spread to neighboring regions, including Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Germany, and the Czech Republic. It is also widespread in western countries, although it is spelled with different variations such as Chmielewski, Chmielnik, and Chmielowska.
Chmiel is also found as a given name in Polish culture, having originally been a nickname used to denote someone who made their living from the cultivation of hops. It is also sometimes spelled as Chimel, Czmiel, and Czmielow.
In modern usage, the name Chmiel is often associated with strength, courage, and intelligence, and is still sometimes used as a given name in Poland. As a surname, it carries the proud legacy of a historically important agricultural profession.
Order DNA origin analysisChmiel: Where does the name Chmiel come from?
The last name Chmiel is most common in Central and Eastern Europe. It is particularly frequent in Poland, where it is currently ranked as one of the top ten most common family names, and it is also found in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The name is derived from the Polish word "chmiel", meaning "hop", and was most likely first used to indicate that the bearer of the name was a hop farmer.
In recent years, the Chmiel surname has been carried by immigrants into North America and Australia. In the United States, it is quite widespread, particularly in the states of New York and New Jersey. Canadian provinces with significant concentrations of Chmiels include, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
The Chmiel name also features in the United Kingdom with communities especially concentrated in the cities of London, Leeds and Manchester. Germany too is home to a number of Chmiels, along with the Netherlands, France, Spain and Sweden.
Clearly, the globally-dispersed nature of the Chmiel name reflects the migrations of its many bearers over the centuries. It is a testament to the adaptability and enterprise of each generation, and its presence in so many places is a symbol of the unity and persistence of the family's global diaspora.
Variations of the surname Chmiel
The surname Chmiel is a spelling variant of the Czech and Polish surname Chmiel, as well as of the Russian surname Khmelev (or Khmeleva/Khmelevskaya), which is derived from the Slavic word for "hop." In Poland, the surname Chmiel is most commonly encountered in the western part of the country, especially in the Upper Silesia region, and takes many other forms including Chmeleff, Chmelewski, Chmelevskii, Chmielnicki, Chmielewska, and Chmielowiec.
In Czech, the surname Chmiel is mainly found in the western and central parts of the country, and the spelling variations include Chmelar, Chmelarik, Chmelarova, Chmelewicz, Chmelik, and Chmelova. The Russian form of the surname is Khmelev (or Khmeleva/Khmelevskaya), and more rarely Khmelevsky.
The surname also appears in the form Cmiel in Britain, and Chmielko in Ukraine and Slovakia. Furthermore, in Germany it can be written as Kmiel, Kmielke, Kmiella, and Kmiellak. In Romania, the spelling variation is Chemlaliu and other variations in other countries include Ciemelio, Chemelli, and Chimel.
It is important to note that all the surnames mentioned above are all variations of the original surname Chmiel and are derived from the same origin.
Famous people with the name Chmiel
- Nick Chmiel: an American musician, songwriter, composer, and editor, known for his work with the bands Shuttle, Low Flying Owls, and On Fillmore.
- Priscilla Chmiel: an American actress and film producer.
- Sandor Chmiel: a Hungarian politician, diplomat, and the first Foreign Minister of the Republic of Hungary in 1918.
- Joe Chmiel: an American politician and former mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.
- Joseph Chmiel: an American lawyer and judge, who served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia from 1978 until 2000.
- Józef Chmiel: a Polish historian and writer, known for his works on the history of Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Polish-Russian relationship.
- Thaddeus Chmiel: an American writer and entrepreneur, known for his works on the history of photography and the digital revolution.
- Grzegorz Chmiel: a Polish actor, most famous for his role as Józef Orszulik in the film series, “Król” (The King).
- Tobias Chmiel: an Austrian physicist, known for his research in acoustics and laser optics.
- Lukas Chmiel: a German fencer and Olympian, who competed in the men's foil event at the 2004 Summer Olympics.