Surname Kiessling - Meaning and Origin

The Unexpected Revelations: How DNA Testing Changed My Understanding of my Kiessling Ancestry The Unexpected Revelations: How DNA Testing Changed My Understanding of my Kiessling Ancestry

Unveiling unexpected revelations through iGENEA’s DNA testing, my understanding of my ancestry has been overturned and reimagined. My family's German lineage, I believed to be steadfast, unexpectedly intertwined with an Eastern European identity, reshaping my sense of self, enriching my cultural context, and strengthening my bond to a vast network of distant relatives.

F. Kiessling

Kiessling: What does the surname Kiessling mean?

The last name Kiessling is an occupational surname originating in Germany. It is derived from the German word "Kiesl", which refers to an occupation such as a barrel maker. The name most likely arose in the German speaking areas of Central Europe, and is most common in the country today. Spelling variations of the name vary, but usually end in -ing or -ling.

In Central Europe, surnames developed to allow people to distinguish themselves, and they would often take on the name of their profession or occupation. For example, the last name Schmidt may refer to a blacksmith, or the name Wagner might denote someone who was involved in the building industry. The same is believed to be true for the Kiessling surname, which would refer to a skilled maker of wooden barrels.

Kiesslings are recorded in the areas of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. Around the 1400s, the name became more widespread when families began to leave the region in search of a better life. Today the surname can be found across the world, though it remains common in Central Europe.

Given the origin of the name, people bearing the Kiessling name may have a proud family history of skilled craftsmanship. The last name is a reminder of generations of skilled makers who have contributed to the growth of their communities.

Kiessling: Where does the name Kiessling come from?

The last name Kiessling is most commonly found in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe. There is also a large population of Kiesslings in the United States, mostly in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.

In Germany, the largest concentration of Kiesslings is in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia in the east. This trend is true of other states and provinces across Europe. Some of the other countries where Kiessling is common today are Russia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

The United States boasts the most number of Kiessling families with nearly 65,000 Americans using some variation of the name according to records from the United States Census Bureau. What's more, five of the leading ten states with the most Kiesslings are in the Midwest including Wisconsin at number one with over 22,000 people, and Minnesota at number three with almost 17,000 people.

The Pacific Northwest is also a significant center for the Kiessling name. Around 8,500 more Americans in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have the Kiessling name. Other states with a notable Kiessling population include California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

It appears that the Kiessling name is spreading beyond its native Germany. Its global population is living proof of the success of this surname in the 21st century.

Variations of the surname Kiessling

The surname Kiessling is commonly spelled as Kießling, Kessing, Kiessler, Kiesel, and Kieseli. It is a German name derived from the word “Kiesel”, which is an old German term for river pebbles or stones. It is believed to have originated with the occupation of a small stonemason or mason.

The surname is most often found in Germany and Central Europe. Variations may also include Keissling or Kyssling, both of which have variants in old German spelling. It is also found in other parts of the globe, including Denmark, Netherlands, France, and the U.S.

Kiessling is also found as the macronymic form of several other surnames, such as Kießl, Kettel, Kiek, and Kehn. These macronymic surnames originated when a patronymic surname was combined with the name of a village. The village name was then fused with the patronymic surname, and this combination became the new surname.

Kiessling is sometimes also found as an anglicised version of other similar surnames, such as Kleißling, Kläßling, Kleinhans, Kleesling, or Kleußlin. This is most often encountered in the U.S., due to immigration from Germany during the 19th century.

Overall, the surname Kiessling exists in numerous variations and spellings, all of which can ultimately be traced back to a common origin in Germany.

Famous people with the name Kiessling

• Kathryn Kiessling: a Republican lobbyist, attorney, and Congressional Candidate from Michigan.
• Reinhard Kiessling: a composer, arranger, and recording artist from Germany.
• Sebastian Kiessling: a professional soccer player from Bavaria.
• Monica Kiessling: a professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
• Steve Kiessling: a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Tess Kiessling: a woman's rights activist from Los Angeles who co-founded the non-profit group PANDA.
• Tim Kiessling: a game designer and entrepreneur from Berlin, Germany.
• Tom Kiessling: a former professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards.
• Walter Kiessling: a former professional tennis player from Germany.
• Waltraud Kiessling: an artist and sculptor from Germany whose works have been exhibited in the United States.

Other surnames

KiesslichKiesslinger