Surname Kalchner - Meaning and Origin
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Kalchner: What does the surname Kalchner mean?
The last name Kalchner is a German surname, likely derived from the German phrase "Kalchbach," meaning "cold creek." The Kalchner surname can be traced back to the 12th century in Europe, primarily in the regions of Bavaria and Thuringia in what is modern-day Germany. It’s likely that the earliest Kalchners were farmers or craftsmen who lived near cold creeks and earned their living near bodies of water.
Though the Kalchner surname can be found in European records up to the 12th century, it is only in more recent history that Kalchners have spread beyond Bavaria and Thuringia, to other parts of Germany and beyond.
Today, Kalchners can be found in Germany, the United States, and around the world. Some notable individuals with the Kalchner surname include American football player Matt Kalchner and American photojournalist Robert Kalchheimer.
The Kalchner surname conveys a long and rich history of those belonging to an ancient occupation or living in certain regions. It may invoke feelings of tradition and stability, in addition to diligence and hard work. No matter where Kalchners live today, their connections to their centuries-old roots remain as strong as ever.
Order DNA origin analysisKalchner: Where does the name Kalchner come from?
The last name Kalchner is most common among individuals living in Germany, with its most frequent occurrence in the states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. It is also common in Poland, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
The Kalchner surname is likely to have originated from the given name "Kalch", which is derived from the Old Germanic word 'Kelch', meaning 'chalice' or 'goblet'. This indicates that the first bearers of the name were likely descendents of pilgrims or church officials as this type of utensil was frequently used in religious ceremonies during the medieval era.
Kalchner is an uncommonly used name in the English-speaking world. In the United States, particularly in New England states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the name is found in small numbers and suggests immigrant communities from Germany and eastern Europe. Other countries with a small presence of Kalchners include Canada, Australia, and Finland.
The highest concentration of Kalchner families is in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly those described above. The name is slowly gaining in popularity and can be spotted more frequently in cities and towns across these countries.
Variations of the surname Kalchner
The surname Kalchner is believed to have originated from the region of Germany and is recorded as far back as the late 14th century. The variants of Kalchner often appear as Kaltchner, Kalchner, Kaltzner, Kaltsner, Kalzner, Kalksner, Kalkner, or even Kalcher. The surname is of German and Jewish background, depending on the region.
In some parts of Germany, the simplified spelling of the surname "Kalcher" is used. Many Jewish families who adopted this name, adopted the simpler "Kalcher” as well. The surname Kalcher is most commonly found in France and nearby countries.
In some parts of Europe, a suffix "-er" was added to the name in order to make the name more identifiable. This led to the emergence of a few more spellings such Kaltzner, Kaltsner, Kalzner, Kalksner, and Kalkner.
In some cases, the original spelling of the surname remains as is, even in other countries, however some countries opt for a simplified Anglais version. For instance, the surname can be found as "Kalner" or "Kalneris" in Lithuania and Poland, and "Kalchner" in Austria.
In the United States the family surname may appear as Kalkner, Kaltsner, Kaltzner or Kalzner depending on the family line. The same pattern in reverse is seen in Eastern Europe, where the surname would appear more frequently as "Kaltzner" or "Kalzner"
The same basic surname appears in various spelling variations in different countries, with the countries nearest to Germany having the most variants of the name.
Famous people with the name Kalchner
- Fritz Kalchner: a prominent German politician, civil engineer and politician.
- Lori Kalchner: an American film writer and director.
- Robert Kalchner: a German composer who wrote classical and film music.
- Paul Kalchner: a Swiss-American painter and sculptor.
- Helmut Kalchner: a German television and cinema actor.
- Herman Kalchner: a German graphic artist and poster artist who worked for many of the country’s most prominent magazines.
- Marlene Kalchner: an Austrian model and beauty pageant contestant.
- Alfred Kalchner: a famous Austrian architect, notable for designing some of Salzburg's most iconic pathways.
- Konrad Kalchner: a Swiss physicist and mathematician whose research has contributed to the field of geophysics.
- Christian Kalchner: an Austrian musicologist who specialized in the history of musical instruments.