Surname Petzholdt - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Petzholdt: What does the surname Petzholdt mean?
Petzholdt is a German surname thought to have originated in the eastern territories of Germany. The name is thought to have derived from the Old High German root words "petz" and "holdt," which mean "gentleman of a village." The combination of these two words implies that the name was likely given to a landholder or a village leader.
Petzholdt is a fairly common surname in Germany, particularly in the area of Thuringia, and is also found among German immigrants to the United States. It is believed to have been part of the name of the village of Tröbach in the Thuringian region in the 15th century. The name may also be related to the Jastrzembscki family from East Prussia, which is a province of Germany that was abolished in 1945.
The Petzholdt family is often associated with the prominent German composer, Theodore Petzholdt, who was born in 1840 in Hamburg and died in 1890 in Paris. Another notable Petzholdt, Alexander Petzholdt, was an art historian and collector who lived in Dresden in the early 19th century. He was a renowned expert on Dutch paintings and is credited as the author of the "Neuer Thuringisch-Sachsischer Artisten-Lexicon" (New Thuringian-Saxon Artists Encyclopedia), which was published in Dresden in 1841.
Today, the Petzholdt family is still prominent in Germany and other parts of Europe. They continue to be respected for their contributions to the cultural, social, and economic progress of the region.
Order DNA origin analysisPetzholdt: Where does the name Petzholdt come from?
The surname Petzholdt is most commonly found today primarily in Germany, where it is believed to have originated. The name is derived from the German name Pötzsch, which means "landowner" or "peasant" and combines the words pötze, meaning "patch of land," and holtz, meaning "woodland."
In Germany, Petzholdt is a relatively frequent name, with more than 1000 bearers living in large cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Leipzig. It is also found in other countries throughout Europe, including Denmark, Finland, France, and the Czech Republic. In the United States, the most common states of residence for Petzholdt families are Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.
The surname is particularly well-known in Europe due to the works of the brothers Charles and Edward Petzholdt, who were respected scientists, mineralogists, and crystallographers of the 19th century.
In general, the Petzholdt surname is most common in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe, with only a small number of bearers living in other countries.
Variations of the surname Petzholdt
The Petzholdt surname has a few different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin which includes:
Petzold, Petzolt, Pitzol, Pitzold, Petzolt, Petzholt, Patzol, Patzold, Patzolt, Pitzholdt, Pitzholt, Pitsold, Petzhold and Petzkolt.
The German-origin surname Petzholdt is derived from a combination of the Middle High German words "petsolt" or "pitzolt" which mean a youngster, or a term of endearment used for a young lad. It was later adapted into the Low German dialect when the family members moved from a hilly region to a flatland.
In Middle High German, the word "holt" or "holz" means a wood or a forest. Therefore, when the two words "petsolt" and "holt" or "holz" come together it forms the surname "Petzholt" or "Petzholdt". This type of name referred to someone who hailed from a place that was surrounded by woods or a forest.
Some of the typical variants of the surname Petzholdt are Petzold, Petzolt, Pitzol, Pitzold, Petzolt, Petzholt, Patzol, Patzold, Patzolt, Pitzholdt, Pitzholt, Pitsold, Petzhold and Petzkolt.
In addition to Germany, the Petzholdt surname is also found in Scandinavia, specifically in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
The Petzholdt surname is a rare occurrence around the world, but in Germany, the highest concentrations of the surname can be identified in the states of Bavaria and Saxony.
Famous people with the name Petzholdt
- Mathias Petzholdt (1801-1873), Danish landscape painter
- Jens Petzholdt (1832-1890), Danish painter
- Jens Jørgen Petzholdt (1809-1872), Danish taxonomist, botanist and entomologist
- Eduard Petzholdt (1824-1879), German landscape and animal painter
- August Petzholdt (1805-1884), Danish painter
- Reinhold Petzholdt (1871-1947), Swedish non-fiction writer
- Paule Petzholdt (1934-2016), German journalist, author and politician
- Stephanie Petzholdt (born 1973), German journalist and television presenter