Surname Gutleben - Meaning and Origin

Gutleben: What does the surname Gutleben mean?

The surname Gutleben is of German origin. It is derived from two Middle High German words, 'gur' meaning grove, and 'leben' meaning life. The literal meaning is 'grove life.' It is likely that the original family who bore the surname were farmers who lived near a grove, used it in their livelihood, or both.

The surname is largely concentrated in the German states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is fairly rare, appearing in only trace numbers throughout the United States.

Early bearers of the surname used it to distinguish themselves from others with similar surnames. In 1298, Adelbert Gutliwen was recorded in a Bavarian court record, and Johann and Mattheus Gutleben appeared in a tax register for the Duchy of Burgundy in 1490.

Today, Gutleben seems to be more of a marker of family and heritage than an identifier of a certain trade or occupation. While the original members of the family were likely farmers, it is likely that the original bearers of the surname had many different professions. After all, even in the historic Bavarian record and in the tax registry almost five hundred years ago, there were already two distinct entries of Gutleben.

Gutleben: Where does the name Gutleben come from?

The last name Gutleben is an old German surname derived from a location. In Old High German the word 'Gut' means 'good', and 'leben' means 'place or terrain'. So, the last name was likely used to refer to the 'good place or terrain'. It could also have been used to functio to refer to either a desirable locality, or could indicate an individual of noble blood. Today, the last name Gutleben is most common in Germany, where it was first documented in the Middle Ages. It is also found internationally in countries with large German populations, such as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Interestingly, there are some records suggesting the name was also found sporadically in Great Britain, though its exact history is unclear. According to the United States Census of 2000, the last name is found most prominently in the state of Pennsylvania, with the towns of Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Easton being particularly Gutleben-dense. There are also a few thousand instances of the name recorded in the US Social Security Index, largely between the 1840s and early 1900s. In the modern day, it appears that the surname is still most concentrated in its ancestral homeland of Germany.

Variations of the surname Gutleben

The surname Gutleben originates from German and can trace its origins to the word gut, which means good. This surname has variants, spellings, and surnames of similar origin.

Variants of this surname include the variations Guttleben, Gutleb, Güttleben, Gutmachers, Gätleb, and Gütleben.

The spelling can vary, with spellings such as Guttleben, Gutleb, Güttleben, Gutmachers, Gätleb, and Gütleben.

Common surnames of similar origin include Gutter, Guttein, Güttel, Gutta, Guttor, Gutem, Gutuck, Gutheim, and Gutfreund.

Variants and other spellings and surnames of the same origin stem from the word gut, which means good. By looking at suffixes and prefixes, it can be observed that Gutleben is a word of German origin, which points to the fact that this surname is of Germanic origin.

Some surnames that share the same meaning with Gutleben are Gutgeben, Gutgeshen, Gutschit, Güttens, and Gutendtal.

The meanings of these Germanic surnames are thought to refer to good spouses, nobility, or people with good moral character. It is also possible that these names could refer to places synonymous with good, such as Gutland, Gutlesberg, and Gutsleben.

In addition, some other surnames with similar origin and connotations of good, such as Gutman, Gutsleben, Gutweiss, Gutmanns, and Gutlauf, are also found.

Variants, spellings, and surnames of similar origin for the surname Gutleben provide evidence that the name originated from German and can be associated with goodness.

Famous people with the name Gutleben

• Valeska Gutleben: a Venezuelan actress, known for her roles in such films as Mr. Big and Beautiful and 18%.
• Mark Gutleben: a United States Army Major General, who served as the Commanding General of the United States Army Communications-Electronics Command from October 24, 2012 to April 8, 2014.
• Melanie Gutleben: is a French model and singer, who has appeared in such television shows as France's Next Top Model and ElectroSoap.
• Alfred Gutleben: a German professional basketball player, who has played with teams in the German Basketball Bundesliga and also with the German national basketball team.
• Victor Gutleben: a Dutch ice hockey player, who played in the Dutch league and Eredivisie before retiring in 2006.
• Larry Gutleben: an American politician from the state of Virginia, who served in the state legislature.
• Tom Gutleben: a British professional cyclist, who competed in the Tour of Britain and the Tour de France.
• John L. Gutleben: an American Catholic priest, who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland from 1965 to 1983.
• Ludwig Gutleben: a German military officer, who served as a senior commander in the German Army from 1914 to 1918.
• Stefan Gutleben: a Swiss composer, who wrote music in various genres, including jazz and classical music.

Other surnames

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