Surname Guetzlaff - Meaning and Origin
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Guetzlaff: What does the surname Guetzlaff mean?
The last name Guetzlaff is German in origin, most commonly found in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Gutwulf, which means "good wolf". This is a combination of two Old German words "Gut" meaning "good" and "Wulf" meaning "wolf".
The name Guetzlaff is thought to have originated during the Middle Ages, when it was common practice to combine older Germanic names and make them into something new. This old practice of fusion of different words and names to create new names is an example of the rich and complex history of German surnames.
The people with the last name Guetzlaff are usually descendants of medieval settlers from the area around Schleswig-Holstein. Over the centuries, the name evolved slightly but the core meaning, “good wolf” remained the same.
In present day, the people with the surname Guetzlaff can be found in many parts of the world, particularly Germany and the United States. The surname remains popular and is often found among many German descendants, especially in cities across the Midwest region of the US. People with the surname continue to be proud of their heritage and it is a link to their ancestors who lived in the old German states.
Order DNA origin analysisGuetzlaff: Where does the name Guetzlaff come from?
The last name Guetzlaff is quite uncommon today. It is derived from the Germanic root words "guot", which means "good", and "slaf", which means "servant". Together, it is thought to mean "good servant".
The name is mostly found in Germany, although it is not especially common. Records show that in Germany in 2019, there were 78 people with the surname. Other countries with some occurrences of the name include the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, and Slovakia.
In the United States, it is more common in the Midwest and Great Plains regions, with the highest concentration found in Minnesota. According to the US Census Bureau, there were only 231 people with the name as of 2017.
The name is also rarely seen in United Kingdom census records, with only 37 people with the name recorded living in England and Wales in 2018. In Scotland, the number was lower still, with just 14 people using the surname as of the same year.
Overall, the last name Guetzlaff is rare today, with records showing that it is mostly found in Germany and the United States, with smaller concentrations throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.
Variations of the surname Guetzlaff
The surname Guetzlaff is commonly seen spelled Gützlaff or Gutzlaff. It is also occasionally written as Goetzlaff, Götzlaff, Kutzlaff, Gütslaff and Götslaff, and its alternate spellings Kwetzlaff and Kützlaff, though these are much rarer.
The surname originates from a place in the German state of Bavaria called Gützlaffshausen. The place-name is, in turn, derived from a Germanic personal name, composed of two elements, the first being either "gud" or "gut" (good) and the second being "zalaff" (meaning squirrel). Thus, the surname roughly translates to “dweller of a place associated with a good squirrel”.
The alternate surnames that have developed from Guetzlaff also have place-name origins. For instance, Götzlaff is probably a derivative of the German city Götzlaff-Neustadt, and Kutzlaff can be linked to the village of Kutzlaffshausen. Meanwhile, variants such as Kwetzlaff and Kützlaff likely stem from settlements near Magdeburg, Germany, such as Kützlaffhof and Kletterhain.
In addition to the traditional German spellings of the surname, other versions include Guetzlave and Goodsloff, which are found among German emigrants to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Finally, the name has also been Anglicized as Goodslaff, Goodzlaaf, Goodzlav and Goodzloff.
Famous people with the name Guetzlaff
- Joachim Guetzlaff: 19th century German missionary and explorer. He served as a missionary and diplomat in South East Asia and was one of the first Europeans to visit many of the Indonesian islands and also China.
- Rev. Carl Fedor Guetzlaff: A German Christian missionary who worked in South East Asia and served as the first Protestant missionary in Thailand.
- Amalie Guetzlaff: Member of the prominent Guenzlaff family of artists who was a landscape painter in 19th century Germany.
- Ulrike Guetzlaff: German theatre director, playwright, scholar, and professor of theatre studies.
- Isabelle Guetzlaff: Stage actress and entertainer who was a major figure in 19th century German theatre.
- Ernst Guetzlaff: 19th century German composer and musical theatre director, most famous for his pieces entitled Der Schäl-Sack and Die Pfefferkörner.
- Kim Guetzlaff: German-born professional basketball player who currently plays for the ratiopharm Ulm in the German Basketball Bundesliga.
- Robert Guetzlaff: 20th century German painter, printmaker, and illustrator who specialized in etching and woodcuts.
- Arnold Guetzlaff: A Lutheran pastor who was the first Lutheran missionary to Japan. He was active there from 1846 to 1848.
- Timon Guetzlaff: German contemporary artist and painter who draws mainly figurative abstracts and portraits.