Surname Griebner - Meaning and Origin
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Griebner: What does the surname Griebner mean?
The last name Griebner is a German occupational surname which originated from the Middle High German term "gribernere", which translates literally to "miner". This occupational name would have been given to people who historically worked or were employed as miners. The profession of mining was once very common in Germany and other parts of Europe, often involving the extraction and procurement of valuable minerals such as coal, iron, and copper.
This surname became especially popular in Silesia, an area of Germany that is situated along the northern and southwestern borders, because of the mining activity found in that region. Over time, the term became associated with it and was given as a last name to people from the area.
Ultimately, the Griebner surname is a testament to the extraction of valuable minerals and their importance to the German economy. It is also a reminder of the hard-working miners who were responsible for bringing these materials to the surface and providing necessary resources for many communities throughout Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisGriebner: Where does the name Griebner come from?
The last name Griebner is commonly found today in parts of northern Germany, in particular in the historic states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also found in the United States and in some other countries, primarily dispersed among descendants of German immigrants who emigrated in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name is thought to be related to the German phrase Grübner, meaning “carrot,” suggesting a surname derived from a profession or trade of the original bearer. While it is not an especially common name, people with the last name Griebner can be found in various parts of the world, suggesting a fairly wide dispersal of the name during the German immigration wave in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, there are Griebners in Germany, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and various other countries, with a few instances on the British Isles. Within Germany, the name is more frequently found in its original homeland in Bavaria, while more people named Griebner are found in the United States.
No matter where they may be, people with the name Griebner are likely descendants of a German immigrant to the United States. The number of people carrying the name may be small, but the global dispersion of people with this unique name is testament to the scale of German emigration to various parts of the world during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Variations of the surname Griebner
The surname Griebner is believed to have originated in Germany in the 12th or 13th centuries. The variants of this name include Grebner, Grebiner, Grebinor, Grebaugh, Greber, Grebbner, Griffner, Grieble and Gribler. It is possible that some of these spellings are the result of regional dialect differences or other regional influences.
Griebner may have also been derived from the German “grünnen" which means “to grow green", denoting a farmer or gardener. In this case, the variations may include grein, gron, graue, greiner and greiner. It has also been suggested that Griebner has its origin from the Middle High German “grîbe" which means “reed", denoting someone who lived where reeds grew. In this case, the variations may be grîbe, grîbl, grîbler, griebel, grîbler and grîblinger.
In some cases, the name might have originated as a nickname; “grîbe" in Old High German could mean “striker", so Griebner could elicit someone who was fond of fighting or hunting, or perhaps someone who was a gambler. Other surnames that originate from the same root include Grebl, Griebl, Grueber, Gruebler, Greipel, Griepel and Griebling.
All of these surname variations are closely related and are believed to derive from various dialect forms of Griebner. The most common spellings are Grebner, Grebinor and Grebbaugh, but there are many variants and spellings depending on regional and linguistic differences.
Famous people with the name Griebner
- Cornelius Griebner (1897–1999), German archaeologist
- Elmer Griebner (1908–1979), American rugby union player
- Erich Griebner (1885–1967), German painter
- Fred Griebner (1856–1911), American politician
- Friedrich Griebner (1873–1968), German ethnographer
- Johann Griebner (1720–1789), German Roman Catholic priest
- Heinrich Griebner (1837–1918), German legal historian
- Paul Griebner (1881–1954), German palaeographic scholar
- Bill Griebner (1942–2021), American football player
- Rolf Griebner (1930–2016), German astrophysicist
- Gary Griebner (1937–2007), American astronomer
- Hilda Griebner (1912–2000), German theatre critic
- August Griebner (1837–1912), German pastor
- Norma Griebner (1918–1995), American poet
- Sarah Griebner (born 1983), German solo artist and singer