Surname Kirchhuber - Meaning and Origin
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Kirchhuber: What does the surname Kirchhuber mean?
Kirchhuber is a German surname that originates from the German words “Kirche” meaning “church” and “Huber” meaning “headman” and “overseer”. This suggests that the original bearer of the surname was the headman in charge of his local church. The deed could have includedtax-collecting or the general oversight of local church properties and the maintenance of the buildings.
Over time, Kirchhuber became a family name passed down through generations of descendants. Those who bore the name often resided in areas surrounding a major church building, and in some cases, served the church as sextons, overseeing maintenance and churchyard activities. The Kirchhuber family history is often closely tied to religious service as well as local government and civic service.
Today, the Kirchhuber surname has evolved to incorporate a wide variety of people from many different backgrounds. The Kirchhuber surname can still refer to those descended from the original church overseer, or it may refer to anyone who has adopted this well-known name. It's a strong, reliable surname with an interesting and proud family history, which remains largely connected to the history of the church and religion in Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisKirchhuber: Where does the name Kirchhuber come from?
The last name Kirchhuber (or Kirchhofer, Kirchenbauer, or Kirchenhauer) is a German surname most commonly found in the states of Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg. There are approximately 8,500 people with that last name in Germany.
Outside of Germany, the Kirchhuber surname is found in Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Canada. In the United States, it is more common in the Midwestern and Northeastern states, with the highest concentrations being found in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. In Canada, it is much more concentrated in Ontario.
The most likely origin of the surname Kirchhuber is a combination of two words - "kirche" and "huber". Kirche is the German word for "church" and huber means "farmer". The name would have been given to a person whose occupation involved farming the lands of a church.
The Kirchhuber surname is not extremely common today outside of Germany and it might be difficult to find someone with that last name unless you knew where to look or if they had immigrated from Germany.
Variations of the surname Kirchhuber
Kirchhuber is a German surname of divine origin, derived from the Old German words meaning "church" and "farmer". Variations of the last name exist in various spellings, including Kircher, Kirchener, Kercher, Kerchner, and Kirchner.
In some cases, surnames of the same origin have become reinterpreted in certain dialects, resulting in such variants as Kirshburger, Kirpsberger, Kerschhofer, Kerzhburger, Kertschhofer, Kurchhofer, Kärshbuer, Kershbaurer, Kürtshburger and Kirchhubinger.
Alternate spellings of the name in runic script include Kirksburger, Krsburger and Kürshbörger.
Other surnames that originated from the same root as Kirchhuber include Kirchbauer, Kirchmayer, Kirchner, Kircher, Kircheis, Kirsch, Kirschler, Kirchhoff, Körtzinger, Kisch and Kirschbaum.
The surname Kirchhuber is most commonly found in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. In the United States, it is most commonly seen in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Kirchhuber surname is most likely an occupational surname, originally borne by those who were employed as farmers at the local church Manor, or church farmer. As such, the Kirchhuber name historically carried great prestige and honour, reflecting the reverence and respect due to the church at the time. In modern times, the Kirchhuber name continues to stand out as a reminder of our ancestors’ dedication to the church.
Famous people with the name Kirchhuber
- Ursula Kirchhuber, a Swiss piano teacher and musicologist.
- Franz Kirchhuber, an Austrian composer.
- Erich Kirchhuber, a Jewish Austrian physician and Nazi concentration camp doctor.
- Theresia Kirchhuber, an Austrian judoka and Paralympic gold medalist.
- Paul Hugo Kirchhuber, an Austrian painter.
- Marianne Kirchhuber, a German photographer.
- Margarete Kirchhuber, a German fashion designer.
- Robert Kirchhuber, an Austrian-American astrophysicist and computer scientist.
- Lore Kirchhuber, an Austrian climber and mountaineer.
- Hugo Kirchhuber, a German actor and former journalist.