Surname Kuperschmidt - Meaning and Origin
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Kuperschmidt: What does the surname Kuperschmidt mean?
Kuperschmidt is a German last name derived from the pre-Christian word kupfer meaning 'copper.' The original meaning of the name is an occupational surname, describing a person who works with copper such as a smelter, smith, or merchant. The surname became popular around the 15th century when copper mining and smelting were common in Germany.
In some cases, Kuperschmidt may also be an ornamental surname, likely derived from the cities of Kupperstatt in Austria and Kuppersmuth in Germany. This might suggest that, at some point, a member of the family migrated to one of those locations and the surname was changed to reflect a new area of origin.
The surname is still quite prevalent in some parts of Germany today, although it is not common in other parts of the world. It is usually seen as an aristocratic surname, and is thought to be held among many members of the German nobility. To have this surname suggests that a person's family has a long history in Germany, and may even indicate some minor connections to nobility.
Despite the family's long history, there is no one definitive meaning for the name Kuperschmidt. Its use could be purely occupational and indicative of a connection with copper, derived from some distant location, or it could be an indication of nobility. Either way, it is a unique and visually interesting name that allows the person bearing it to stand out from the crowd.
Order DNA origin analysisKuperschmidt: Where does the name Kuperschmidt come from?
The last name Kuperschmidt is largely found in parts of Europe, primarily in modern Germany and Austria. Records show that it originated in the now German state of Hesse in the 16th century.
During the 1800s, numerous persons named Kuperschmidt immigrated to the United States, primarily from Germany, Holland, and Austria. Records show that in 1880, the largest population of the Kuperschmidt surname was located in the US state of Missouri. After World War II, however, many of this surname spread to other parts of the world, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Today, Kuperschmidt is a fairly common name in parts of central Europe. Statistics show that there are over 6,000 persons living in Germany with this surname. There are over 700 people living in Austria with this last name, and 320 in Switzerland.
The US still has a sizable population of the Kuperschmidt surname, with over 1,400 people living with the name at the time of this writing. The state of Missouri remains the most popular US state for persons with this last name, but it is by far not the only one. There are still hundreds of people living in the United States with this last name, mainly in Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and New York.
Variations of the surname Kuperschmidt
The surname Kuperschmidt is an Ashkenazi Jewish name of German language origin, derived from the Yiddish word “kuperschmidt” which means “coppersmith.” Variations of the surname include Kupersmidt, Kuperschmid, Kuperschmit, Kupersmied, Kupersmeid, Kupersznit, Kupreschmidt, Kupresmidt, Kupreschmid, Kupreschmit, Kupresmied and Kupresmeid. Common spellings of the surname include Kouperschmid (in German), Kuperszmidt (in Polish), Kopershmid (in Czech) and Koppersmidt (in Dutch). Other forms of the name include Kooperschmidt, Koopersmidt, Koopermid, Koperszmidt, Koperszmid, Kooperchmit, Kooperschmit, Koppermied and Koppersmeid.
The surname is found among the descendants of Jewish immigrants who were living in Germany in the early 19th century, as well as among their descendants who relocated to other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. It is likely that the name has been adopted in some form or another by assimilated Jewish families in a number of languages, such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish.
The surname is one of many Yiddish surnames that was formed based on a trade or profession. Many Jews opted to use Yiddish rather than German for their surnames, as it was seen as a badge of honor, a sort of badge of pride to identify themselves as Jewish. Thus, many surnames began to be formed out of occupational words or words of craftsmanship, such as Kuperschmidt. However, the surname was not necessarily exclusively used by Jewish families; it was also adopted by other non-Jewish families who were engaged in the trade or craft of coppersmithing.
Famous people with the name Kuperschmidt
- Yawe Kuperschmidt-Israeli author, Holocaust survivor, and educator.
- Bror Kuperschmidt-Swedish architect and furniture designer.
- Max Kuperschmidt-German-born rabbi, author, and educator.
- Karl Kuperschmidt-Soviet-born Israeli sculptor.
- Louis Kuperschmidt-German doctor and professor of anthropology.
- Anne Kuperschmidt-American politician, nurse, and author.
- Abraham Kuperschmidt-American journalist and novelist.
- Ernst Kuperschmidt-Austrian-born industrialist, politician, and philanthropist.
- Helena Kuperschmidt-Israeli fashion designer and entrepreneur.
- Daniel Kuperschmidt-Canadian actor and voice-over artist.