Surname Kalkschmidt - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Kalkschmidt: What does the surname Kalkschmidt mean?
The surname Kalkschmidt is of German origin from the Middle Ages, and is derived from the Middle High German word "kalk" meaning lime and the word "schmidt" meaning craftsman or blacksmith. The name is thought to have been given to artisans who worked with lime, such as those who quarried and prepared it for building purposes in castles or homes.
In addition, the name Kalkschmidt has been used to describe individuals who worked at an apothecary, creating medicinal concoctions from mixed powders, mixtures and compounds. Over time, this craftsmanship evolved to include related trades such as pharmacists and chemists.
Other possible origins include a long-held tradition of naming professions and crafts. A communal surname could also have developed as a reference to a badass person, such as a bodyguard, because "kalk" contains the letters "k", "l" and "k", which are associated with strength in German.
Despite its somewhat mysterious origin, this surname continues to carry a strong presence in Germany and parts of Central Europe today. The Kalkschmidt coat of arms, which has multiple depictions of limes or lemons, serves as further evidence of its medieval roots.
Order DNA origin analysisKalkschmidt: Where does the name Kalkschmidt come from?
The last name Kalkschmidt is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands. Within Germany, it is most commonly found in the North Rhine-Westphalia region as well as Bavaria.
In Germany, there have been Kalkschmidt's living in the region since the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It's believed the name derived from the occupation of "Köhler," which is a German word for charcoal burner, or charcoal maker. In some cases, the family name was modified to something closer to "Kalkschmidt," with citations citing it's use as early as 1755.
The name is also found throughout the Netherlands, with it being most commonly found in the provinces of Noord-Brabant as well as cities such as Heerlen, Sittard, and Roermond. It is speculated that the name likely derived from the German word for charcoal maker and, in some cases, the family name took on varying forms due to the various regions that the Kalkschmidts moved through.
Today, in both Germany and the Netherlands, the Kalkschmidts remain a common surname. Those of German and Dutch descent who currently bear the name are likely direct descendants of those early settlers during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The surname remains a common one throughout both countries, denoting a long lineage of a hardworking family.
Variations of the surname Kalkschmidt
The surname Kalkschmidt is a patronymic surname which means ‘son or descendant of Kalk’, and originated in Germany. It is most commonly spelled as Kalkschmidt, but there are several variants of this name, including KalkSchmidt, Kalk-Schmidt, Kalk-Schmid, Kalk Schmid, Kalk Schmitt, Kalkschmid, Kalkschmitt and Kalksmit. It can also be spelled with a double ‘t’ at the end, like Kalkschmittt or Kalksmitt.
The surname Kalkschmidt also has numerous other spellings that are derived from other languages. Some of these include Kahlkschmid, KallkSchmidt, Kall-Schmidt, Kahelschmidt, KahlkSchmid, KleinSchmidt and KleinSchmid. Other regional variants include Kalck, Kalch, and Kalth.
As the Kalkschmidt surname evolved over time and spread to other countries, it also gained a number of different surnames that have the same root. Some of these include Kalka, Kalke, Kalkowski, Kalkovsky, Kalkus, Kalman, Kalmus, Kalwar, Kallen, Kalnyshevsky, Kaltz and Kalvin, as well as Kalkman, Kallmann, and Kalkmann.
In short, the Kalkschmidt surname has many variants, spellings and derived surnames due to its German origin and subsequent evolution.
Famous people with the name Kalkschmidt
- Benjamin Kalschmidt: A German chemist who focused on the critical studies of mechanism structures related to organic reactions and especially of the mechanization of the hemisynthesis of terpenes.
- Jacques Kalschmidt: A French musician known for popularizing performance art in the 1980s.
- Gustave Kalschmidt: A Belgian geologist who helped to discovered important geological formation in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Lothar Kalschmidt: A former retail executive and executive board member of the Siemens AG company.
- Paul Edward Kalschmidt: A Canadian long-distance runner who competed in the Alpine skiing events at the 1968 Winter Olympics.
- Naike Kalschmidt: An Italian photographer who won the Collaborations-Award 2018.
- Robert Kalschmidt: An Austrian tennis player who won several doubles titles in the early 1950s.
- Emil Kalschmidt: An American biologist and professor at the Universiy of California in Los Angeles.
- Christiane Kalschmidt: A German political writer and publisher.
- Richard Kalschmidt: A German-born poet and author who wrote the novella Snowstorm in the Summer Palace.