Surname Köppge - Meaning and Origin
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Köppge: What does the surname Köppge mean?
The last name Köppge is of Germanic origin and is a variant of the name Köppe. It is believed to have originated with a nickname for a person with a round or bald head. This is signified by the prefix ‘Kop’ which translates to English as ‘head’. The suffix ‘ge’ or ‘ke’ is derived from the Middle Low German word 'kopke' which means 'diminutive of Kopf' or 'little head' and is often seen as a slang term of endearment.
The spelling of the name Köppge is thought to have been slightly changed over time by a mix of influences including dialect, pronunciation and location. One example of this is the spellings Kupe (found in Brandenburg), Kopp (in Eastern Prussia), and Köppke (in West Prussia).
The Köppge surname began to emerge as a distinct one as people permanently settled in one area after the medieval period. It was included among the lower classes and was often topped with ‘von’ as a sign of nobility. This suffix has since been passed down the generations, although it no longer carries any aristocratic prestige.
The Köppge name is now mainly found in northern Germany and Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It is also quite popular in the United States and other countries with a large German population.
In conclusion, the last name Köppge is believed to have originated from a nickname based on a person's physical appearance. It has since become a distinct surname and is commonly found in Northern Europe and some parts of the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisKöppge: Where does the name Köppge come from?
Köppge is a German surname, derived from a location in Prussia. It is believed to have come from the medieval town of Köppe, which was located in the present-day easternmost part of the country. The surname is still present today in many parts of Germany, as well as in some countries of Germanic background—for example, in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The German phone directory GeoDaMap shows the popularity of the Köppge surname across Germany’s 16 federal states: the highest concentration is found in North-Rhein-Westphalia, followed closely by Lower-Saxony, then Saxon-Anhalt. In terms of 166 German cities, the highest concentration is seen in Baden-Baden, followed by Munich, and Heusenstamm.
Köppge is also found in other countries with German-speaking ancestry, such as Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. In Austria, Vienna and Styria have the highest rates. In Luxembourg, the south-central area of Echternach is the most popular with Köppge as a surname. Similarly, in the Netherlands, the most popular cities are Sneek and Emmen.
It’s clear that the Köppge surname is still alive and well in multiple parts of the world, maintaining a legacy that began centuries ago. The following international cities and regions have Köppge listed as either a first or last name: Stockholm in Sweden, Quebec in Canada, New York in the US, and even South Africa. All of these locations may have connections to the original German birthplace of the name. Lastly, Köppge is still going strong in its original German place of origin: the town of Köppe.
Variations of the surname Köppge
Köppge is a surname of German origin, and is found among the Germanic and Scandinavian populations. It is derived from the Middle High German word “Kopp”, meaning “head”, and “ge”, meaning “relative of”. Variant spellings of the name include Koppge, Köppege, Koppege, Koppegge, Köppegge, Kopegge, Koeppge, Koeppege, Koppigge and Kopigge, all of which are derived from the same origin.
Surnames derived from Köppge include Köppke, Köpplein, Köppe, Köpke, Köpping, Köppinger, Köppner, Köpprich, Köppler, Köppel, Köppl, Köpp, Köpf, Köpfinger, Köpfel, Köppcher, Köppchen and Köppen. All these surnames are likely derived from the same origin.
The original meaning of the surname is likely “head of the family” or “relative of the head of a family”. It may have originally been used to differentiate between members of a family, but it is now primarily used as a surname. Köppge is most commonly found among German-speaking populations, but it is also found among Scandinavian populations as well. It is a relatively rare surname in most parts of the world.
Famous people with the name Köppge
- Martin Köppge: German entrepreneur, well-known for founding the online shopping platform MyPost24.
- Ferdinand Köppge: German swimmer, winner of the gold medal in freestyle swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics, in Paris.
- Philipp Köppge: Former German footballer, who played for the teams VfB Oldenburg and SV Meppen.
- Sabine Köppge: German television actress, best known for her roles on television series such as Vereinte Freunde and Oder ein Detektiv.
- Wolfgang Köppel: German aeronautical engineer and former executive at Airbus.
- Faulpius Köppge: German Olympic cross-country skier, who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics.
- Falk Köppge: German blind racer, who has won medals at the Paralympics and world championships for visually impaired athletes.
- Bettina Köppge-Boll: German actress, best known for her roles in the television series Vollzeit Freunde and Ein Detektiv.
- Johann Köppge: German military historian, who authored several books on the history of World War II and the German occupation of France during the war.
- Lars Köppge: German physicist, who worked for the Max Planck Institute for Fluids Mechanics and could be characterized as an expert in aerodynamics.