Surname Kohr - Meaning and Origin
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Kohr: What does the surname Kohr mean?
The last name Kohr is of German origin and is a topographical name for someone who lived by a bend or curve in a river or stream. It could also refer to someone who lived near a ‘kuhle’ or depression in the landscape. It has also become a surname among the Jewish communities of Central and Eastern Europe.
The first recorded references to the Kohr name date back to the 14th Century when it was adopted as a hereditary surname. Since then it has spread to many countries, including Germany, the United States, Canada, and South Africa.
The spelling of the last name Kohr may have changed over time and it can have a variety of spellings, such as Kohr, Coer, Koehr, Koer, and Köhr.
Kohr is also a common Jewish surname in the eastern United States and is often identified with the Ashkenazi Jews who immigrated to America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, the last name Kohr is often associated with wealth, education, class, and success. It is a respected name in many communities all over the world and is associated with intelligence and reliability.
Order DNA origin analysisKohr: Where does the name Kohr come from?
The last name Kohr is most commonly found today in Germany and surrounding countries. It is predominantly found in Northern Germany and in the German states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, and Berlin. The name is also common in Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, with small pockets of Kohr-namesakes living in the United Kingdom and the United States, though the numbers are much smaller.
It is believed that the Kohr name has Germanic origins and may be derived from "Kuhr," a Middle Low German term which was commonly used to refer to small plots of land. The name was generally used to refer to a person from such a plot of land. Because of its locations in Northern Germany and Austria, it is likely that the Kohr surname has a Prussian origin.
In more modern times, many people bearing the Kohr name have become successful in politics, academics, media, and more. Former German president (and Nobel Prize recipient) Richard von Weizsäcker was of the Kohr-clan and active in politics, and the Kohr name is also heavily represented in the media (e.g. broadcaster and reporter Frank Plasberg).
Overall, the Kohr surname is spread far and wide, though the primary locations are in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Holland. Though pockets of people bearing the Kohr name live around the world, these numbers are generally much smaller compared to the original and primary copies of the name.
Variations of the surname Kohr
The surname Kohr is a German occupational surname that most likely originated from the Middle High German word "kore," which was a term used to refer to a coppersmith or tin maker who worked with copper and tin objects. Spellings and variants of the surname Kohr include Kohl, Köhl, Kohler, Köhler, Koer, Köer, Koehler, Köhler, Köhr, Koherr, and Koehr.
The name is also found in other countries around the world, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the spelling variations of the name 'Kohr' include Coar, Cohen, Cohr, Kohier, Kohl, Koehr, Koer, Köer, Kohr, Köhr, and Koerner. In Canada, the surname is alternatively spelled as Kohar, Kohl, Koehl, Koer, Koehr, Koerner, and Koehler.
In the United Kingdom, the surname Kohr is also found spelled as Coar, Coehr, Cohr, Kohler, Koehler, Koer, Koehr, Koerner, Kohr, and Köhr. Other English variations of the surname Kohr include Coher, Koerner, Coer, Koehler, and Koeller.
In Australia, Kohr is sometimes spelled as Kohler, Koehler, Koer, Koehr, Koerner, Kohr, and Köhr. The surname Kohr is also found in Scotland, with variants such as Coffer, Koller, Koller, Coulter, and Kohl.
Overall, the surname Kohr is quite varied, with different variants and spellings in different countries around the world. While the root is German, the surname has spread to other countries of Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Famous people with the name Kohr
- Richard Kohr: American mathematician and professor known for his contributions to the theory of quasiconformal maps.
- Rainer Kohr: German actor and stage artist, also known for his work on the 1980s TV series "Verbotene Liebe".
- David Kohr: German painter known for his expressionist style, and member of the "Brücke" or "Bridge" group of artists.
- Alexander Kohr: Austrian writer, author of the novel "Der Regenmacher" (The Rainmaker).
- Fredrick Kohr: Founding member of the Baha’i faith in the United States and Canada, and author of the book "The Universal Faith: A Sourcebook of the World’s Religions".
- Elisabeth Kohr: German sculptor, known for her work in the interest of developing sculptural art outside of the traditional hard sandstone or metals.
- Wilhelm Kohr: German philosopher, known for his anti-modernist sentiments and defense of traditional German institutions.
- Joel Kohr: 19th century German-American sculptor, known for his many monuments and secular works of art.
- Johann Kohr: Austrian-born artist, known for his naturalistic landscape painting.
- Helmut Kohr: German philosopher and university professor, noted for his essay "Kritik der Moderne" (Critique of Modernity).