Surname Kinzelmann - Meaning and Origin
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Kinzelmann: What does the surname Kinzelmann mean?
The last name Kinzelmann is an occupational surname derived from the German word “Kunzlemann,” meaning “merchant” or “merchandise peddler.” The suffix -mann, literally meaning “man” or “person” added to the prefix Kunzle, which could indicate a variety of related professions such as “medicine peddler,” “hairdresser,” or “jeweler.”
Many of the Kinzelmann surname holders were merchants and small business owners, often peddlers who traveled from community to community to market their goods. More specifically, some members of the Kinzelmann family were tobacco peddlers and manufacturers or dyers who learned the trade from their fathers.
Traditionally, the surname Kinzelmann was more common throughout Germany and the surrounding countries. German-speaking immigrant Kinzelmann families may be found in the U.S., especially in the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Missouri.
Today, some descendants of the Kinzelmann family have inherited their ancestor’s entrepreneurial spirit and now work in the retail, wholesale, and electronics industries, running their own stores, boutique shops, and other businesses.
The legacy of the Kinzelmann family carries on, where their surnames holds a different meaning: earning a living through resourceful thinking, resilience, and innovation.
Order DNA origin analysisKinzelmann: Where does the name Kinzelmann come from?
The surname Kinzelmann is still quite common today, though the prevalence of the name varies from country to country. The largest concentration of the surname is in Germany, particularly in the south of the country. Here, it is most commonly found in Bavaria and Baden-Württemburg. It is also popular in neighbouring Austria.
In North America, the surname is relatively rare, with most Kinzelmanns having emigrated from Germany or Austria in the last century or two. It is most common in the US states with large German-American populations, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. It is also found in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta.
Elsewhere in the world, a number of Kinzelmanns have settled in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and India. The name is especially common in Japan, due to a large number of German immigrants having settled there in the 19th century.
Overall, the surname Kinzelmann is not particularly widespread, with most of its bearers having origins from Central Europe or its descendants, though its reach does span the globe.
Variations of the surname Kinzelmann
The surname Kinzelmann can trace its roots back to Germany — specifically, to the German language, in which the pronunciation is “KINDZ-EL-MAN”. This surname has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include Kintzleman, Kintzelmein, Kintzelman, Kindsmün, Kindsmann, Kinstman, Kintzellemann, Kintzelmann, Kintzelmann, Kintzelmanot, Kingelman, Kinzleman, Kindzmann, and Kindenman.
The variants of Kinzelmann are often seen in parts of Central Europe, primarily in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, although it is becoming increasingly common in the United States and Canada. Some of those who migrated to North America changed the way their surname was spelled, often because English speakers could not pronounce such a long and complex name. In the process, these immigrants created an array of new surnames, all with the same root, or “stem,” as Kinzelmann.
In addition to variant spellings and anglicized forms, there are various compound forms of the Kinzelmann surname, which are composed of two, and sometimes three parts. Examples of the two-part forms are Kindsmann and Kindsmein, and elements of the three-part forms include Kindsel, Kindsman and Kindsmün. Thus, there are literally dozens of ways in which the surname Kinzelmann can appear in different versions and across records over time.
Famous people with the name Kinzelmann
- Annemarie Kinzelmann, German violinist
- George Kinzelmann, German judge
- Julian Kinzelmann, German DJ and producer
- Robb Kinzelmann, USA radio personality
- Peter Kinzelmann, German-American cartoonist
- Richard Kinzelmann, German lawyer and politician
- Gabriel Kinzelmann, German actor
- Markus Kinzelmann, German football player
- Joachim Kinzelmann, German composer
- Alex Kinzelmann, German tennis player