Surname Körfers - Meaning and Origin

Körfers: What does the surname Körfers mean?

The last name Körfers is a German-language surname, derived from the old German personal name "Kerfer," which predates the Middle Ages. The name is thought to have possibly meant "one who works with a scythe," derived from the German word "Kerf," which means the blade of a scythe or other farming instrument. It is also likely that the name may have referred to a worker or tradesman of some kind, based on its compound-word construction of using the second syllable of the word "arbeiter," or "Worker", in the personal name.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved to Körfers and the name remains in the regional dialects of Germany today. The surname has become quite popular, included among the 50 most frequent last names in Germany.

The Körfers family enjoys a lengthy and proud family history in many parts of Germany, with branches in Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony-Anhalt, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Berlin, as well as family roots in regions such as Lüneburg and East Prussia.

The Körfers surname can be found in records as far back as the 1400s, and over the centuries the name has been adopted by a variety of fields, including craftspeople, farmers, merchants, and members of the military. Körfers family members have gone on to become public figures, artists, and writers, contributing to culture, science, and government.

Today, Körfers is a widely established surname, known for its long heritage, proud family history, and variety of accomplishments. It is still a meaningful surname that is deeply embedded in German culture.

Körfers: Where does the name Körfers come from?

The last name Körfers is a common surname in a few countries in Europe. It originated in Germany, and remains most common there today. It is likely that the last name Körfers derived from the Middle High German word “korf,” meaning “container,” as it was a commonly used name for a family who specialized in making containers like baskets and buckets.

Körfers is a fairly common last name in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. According to the Social Security Death Index, since the 1800s Körfers has worked its way to being the 11th most common last name in Austria and the 18th most common in Switzerland. In Germany, it is the 645th most common last name with a population of approximately 1,800 people.

In the United States, the last name Körfers is noticeably less popular than in Europe. According to the 2000 US Census, only 19 people shared that last name. It is believed that most of them descended from German immigrants who arrived and settled in the US during the 19th century.

So, where is the last name Körfers most common today? In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, it is still a fairly widespread surname, whereas in the United States it is much less common. It appears that, over the years, the surname has travelled around mainly Europe and finally settled in some parts of the United States.

Variations of the surname Körfers

Körfers is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word ‘Korfer’ meaning ‘basket-maker’. Variants and spellings of the surname include Körfer, Körffer, Koerffer, Korfer, Korffer, Korfers, Körfers, Koerfers, Kärfer, Käffer and Kärfer. In addition, surnames originating from the same source can also be found in English, French and Dutch: Korf, Corf, Curf, Corff, Scorf, Scorff, Scurf, Korff, Corfs, Courf and Koeffer.

The first recorded appearance of the name Körfer was in Bavaria, Germany during the 12th century. From that time onwards, the name spread throughout Germany and later into Austria, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

In the 19th century, the surname ‘Körfer’ also spread to other parts of Europe, with some people emigrating to the United States, Canada and Australia. The earliest American record for the surname Körfer is from 1850 and the first Canadian record from 1851.

Today, the surname is most commonly found in southern Germany and Austria, but is also present in other countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Poland, Luxembourg, Sweden and Switzerland.

Famous people with the name Körfers

• Simon Körfers, a German sport shooter who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
• Dieter Körfers, a German lawyer and jurist who specialized in pension and insurance law.
• Detlef Körfers, a former German footballer who played for 1. FC Köln and is currently the CEO of the club.
• Paul Körfers, a German theologian and Catholic priest from Trier who is best-known for his research on liturgical practice in the Early Church.
• Karin Körfers, a German peace activist and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• Hans-Günther Körfers, a German businessman and politician who served as Minister of Economy in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
• Werner Körfers, a German entrepreneur and founder of the German tech company Körfers Industries.
• Matthias Körfers, a German botanist and professor of plant ecology at the Technical University of Munich.
• Ulrike Körfers, a German singer and songwriter who has released several albums.
• Max Körfers, a German cyclist who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Other surnames

Körfer