Surname Kothner - Meaning and Origin
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Kothner: What does the surname Kothner mean?
The surname Kothner is derived from the Old High German term “Koth”, which roughly translates to “grain-sifter”. This term was likely used in reference to someone who was skilled with a sieve, the device used to separate smaller pieces from larger ones. During the Middle Ages, sieving grain was important in order to sift out weeds and other debris that could spoil a harvest. It was likely an occupation that was passed down through generations of families, earning them the surname Kothner.
Throughout history, the surname Kothner can be found in a variety of spellings, such as Cottner, Kothener, Kottner, and more. There are several variants of the spelling in various countries, with an estimated 10,000 Kothner families in Germany alone. Kothner is also a relatively common name in other parts of Europe, especially in Eastern and Central Europe.
Today, the Kothner family can be found in the United States as well, with an estimated 250 to 500 people bearing the name. This name is primarily associated with the Kothner family which claims descendancy from the German-Bohemian region of what is now the Czech Republic. The Kothner family has a rich history and continues to live on in various forms around the world to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisKothner: Where does the name Kothner come from?
The surname Kothner is commonly found throughout Europe and the United States. It is most commonly found in German-speaking areas, such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Eastern Europe. It is also found in neighboring countries, such as Poland, Czech Republic, and in various other countries in the region. Outside of Europe, the surname is also found in the United States, where it has been heavily concentrated in New York and Pennsylvania, with small numbers of Kothners living in other states.
The etymology of the name Kothner is not known, but it likely originated from an occupational surname, such as a cooper (a maker of wooden barrels) or a coiner (a maker of coins). Alternatively, it may have derived from a place name that is ultimately of Germanic origin.
The variant spellings of this surname range widely, and range from Kautner to Katzner.
There are numerous notable individuals, past and present, who have the surname Kothner. For example, Ramón Kothner was an Uruguayan-born Spanish-Jewish poet and playwright in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and in the present day, Rudolph Kothner is a major contemporary figure in the German automobile industry.
Variations of the surname Kothner
The surname Kothner is of German origin, and has several variations, spellings, and surnames related to it. Common spellings include Kothner, Kothnur, Kothnuer, Kothhner, Kothnehr, and Kothneur. Other related surnames include Kottner, Kothnair, Kothnow, Kothener, Kutenhauer, Kattonier, Kothenauer, and Kottman.
Many of the variations of the Kothner surname came about due to the way language and culture have evolved over time. Spelling and pronunciation of surnames have changed over centuries due to migration and language influences. The Kothner surname is believed to have derived from the Middle High German name Kott(a)ner, meaning a maker of wooden tubs.
Some descendants of this surname also adopted names from their places of origin. For example, those from Baden-Württemberg adopted the surnames Köthener or Köthner; while those from Bavaria adopted the surnames Kottner, Kothner, and Kottenauer. This surname is still carried by several families in parts of the United States, such as California, Oregon, and Texas.
The Kothner surname is also spelled with a modern version, Cotner. This modern version of the surname is found mainly in the United States and Canada. It is believed to have come about due to the influence of English language and culture on the Kothner surname.
Famous people with the name Kothner
- Rabbi Avraham Kothner: a noted Rabbi in pre-WWII Krakow, Poland.
- Rabbi Yaakov Yechezkel Kothner: an 18th century Rabbi and author.
- Rabbi Eliezer Kothner: a British rabbi, author, and Talmudic scholar.
- Zeev Kothner: a physicist and professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
- Chawa Kothner: an artist and Holocaust survivor.
- Natan Kothner: a Polish-British photographer and artist.
- Rev. Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Kothner: an 18th-century Jewish rabbi.
- Rebbetzin Sora Miriam Kothner: an influential 19th-century independent worker amongst the female Jewish communities of Minsk, Poland, and Slutzk.
- Karolina Kothner: a Polish-Jewish singer and educator.
- Yoel Kothner: a Jewish-Polish folklorist and author.