Surname Göbbels - Meaning and Origin
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Göbbels: What does the surname Göbbels mean?
The last name Göbbels is of German origin and has its roots in the Middle Ages. In Germany, the name Göbbels was first found in the Rhineland, where the family held a family seat from medieval times. It is thought to be derived from the name Gebel, which was a personal name for someone living near a hill or hilltop. The original bearer of the name likely lived in an area called Gabellen, which was likely a small village in the region.
The name Göbbels can refer to several different people, including Joseph Goebbels, a Nazi propagandist who was appointed by Adolf Hitler to serve as the Nazi Party’s Reich Minister for Propaganda and National Enlightenment. He was a key figure in the Nazi’s ascendancy to power and was a staunch believer in the Nazi philosophy. His name is strongly linked to the Nazi regime and to the Holocaust.
The name Göbbels also appears as a surname in parts of Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands and is believed to have originated from the medieval Germanic personal name “Gebel.” In some cases, the surname may have been given to someone with a particular physical or personality characteristics or someone who lived near a hill or hilltop. Through several generations, and with various spellings, the last name eventually became Göbbels.
Order DNA origin analysisGöbbels: Where does the name Göbbels come from?
The last name Göbbels is most commonly found in Germany today, where it originated centuries ago. Göbbels is derived from an Old German word for a "maker of helmets or hoods".
Although the Göbbels surname is present in other countries across Europe, the highest concentration of the name is still found in Germany. German records indicate the name is more concentrated in the western part of the country, particularly North Rhine-Westphalia.
The surname Göbbels likely originated from the Hohenzollern Silesia area, which was a part of Prussia until 1945. Records show that a Johannes Gebmann ran a forge in the area in the 1500s and since Gebmann was a quite common name in the area, it likely mutated to Göbbels over time. The most likely explanation for Göbbels' eventual migrations to other parts of Germany and Europe, is that members of the Göbbels family were trying to find more business opportunities, or were escaping religious oppression.
Famous people with the last name Göbbels include Nazi propagandist Joseph Göbbels, and members of his family, such as Harald and Helga Göbbels. Today, the Gobbels family remains largely unknown, and there is no distinct family crest or coat of arms. However, the name Göbbels still holds significance for modern historians and remains an integral part of German history.
Variations of the surname Göbbels
The surname Göbbels is a German variant of the surname Goebbels and is derived from Germanic roots. It can be found in records and documents in different spellings such as Gebbels, Goebels, Goeble, Goebles, Geppels, Gebels, and Goebbels.
Variants and spelling variations come from the archaic spelling of German names. These variants arose due to different rules over time, dialectical confusion resulting from transliterations of foreign languages and spelling errors that occur due to the complexity of German records.
Surnames deriving from the same origin as the surname Göbbels include Goebel, Goette, Geier, Gettler, Goeppert, Gebler, Goetze, Goetzenberg, and Geisler, among others.
The family tree of Göbbels also has some commonality with the name Gebhardt which is an alternate spelling of the same name. The Gebhardt branch of the Gibbels family was either divided, dropped, or adapted along the line, leading to the two versions of the same name.
Göbbels is an uncommon surname but can still be found throughout Germany. Residents from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with this surname indicate a later migration of ancestral members with this surname, likely within the 19th or 20th century.
Famous people with the name Göbbels
- Joseph Goebbels: Joseph Goebbels was a German Nazi politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He was one of Adolf Hitler's closest and most devoted associates and was known for his work in developing propaganda to spread the Nazi message.
- Magda Goebbels: Magda Goebbels was the wife of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels and a prominent figure in Nazi Germany.
- Helga Goebbels: Helga Goebbels was the daughter of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda. She was a young Nazi child who lived in the Goebbels household from 1935 to 1945.
- Harald Goebbels: Harald Goebbels is an internationally active German Jazz pianist.
- Ano Goebbels: Ano Goebbels is a German painter, widely accepted in Europe for his works.
- Leopold Goebbels: Leopold Goebbels was a German politician, who served as a general in the Prussian Army.
- Erich Goebbels: Erich Goebbels was a German artist and sculptor from Berlin.
- Günter Goebbels: Günter Goebbels was a German composer and sound designer.
- Hanno Goebbels: Hanno Goebbels was a German literary scholar and professor.
- Peter Goebbels: Peter Goebbels was a German photographer and art critic.