Surname Ringels - Meaning and Origin
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Ringels: What does the surname Ringels mean?
The last name Ringels has German and Ashkenazi origins. The name is derived from a regional name from the German provinces of Brandenburg, Prussia and Westphalia. It is believed to have resulted from the combination of two words, 'ring' meaning border, and 'holz' meaning wood. This name would have originally denoted someone who lived near the boundary of a wood.
Ringels is considered to be an occupational name, likely indicating that the family members would have been involved in forestry, charcoal burning, or the transport of timber. Charcoal burning was a popular profession in the medieval period, making it a likely possibility for the origins of this name.
Today, the surname is still quite popular in Germany, with approximately 4,800 people in Germany and about 59,400 people across the world using this surname. While Germany remains the place with the largest number of people with the last name, there are also a few people in Israel, United States, Canada and other countries with the same surname.
As with many other German surnames, the Ringels surname has experienced slight variations of spelling such as Rinchsals and Rinhsels, but ultimately the meaning and origin remain the same. The Ringels surname is a reminder of a time when many people lived in the rural countryside and were involved in manual labor, such as forestry or charcoal burning.
Order DNA origin analysisRingels: Where does the name Ringels come from?
The last name Ringels is most commonly found today in Germany, part of Austria, and the Netherlands, as well as other parts of central Europe. It is a German name, and variations of the name are spelled as Ringel, Ringell, Ringelmann, and Ringen.
In Germany, Ringels is a fairly common name. During the 1990s, approximately 700 people had Ringels as their last name - 400 of them living in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Other states with large populations of Ringels include Berlin, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, people with the surname Ringel mostly live in the regions of Flanders and Wallonia. During the summer of 2016, researchers found that all 700 Dutch people with the Ringel surname were clustered in one small area in the South-east of the country.
Ringels are also found in countries formerly under the Austro-Hungarian empire, such as Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, and Ukraine.
Generally the prevalence of the surname is highest in the German-speaking regions, then in the Netherlands and Belgium, before spreading out into its more central European locations.
Variations of the surname Ringels
The surname Ringels has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include: Ringel, Ringles, Rinkel, Renzel, Renzell, Rensel, Rainzell, Reigns, Ringe, Ryngell, Ringell, Ringgell, Ryngel, and Ringer.
Ringels is most likely of German origin, being derived from the German “ringel,” meaning “curly-haired.” In some cases, the surname may be derived from the Old German word “rein,” meaning “raven” or “black.” Jews may also have adopted the name after being forced to convert from Judaism to Christianity.
The most popular spelling of the surname is Ringel, with records showing this spelling has been in use since at least the early 17th century. The other spellings of Ringels must have been adopted at some point due to either popularity or for similar sounding surnames.
Ringels is a relatively uncommon surname and can be found in the United States, Canada, and throughout Europe, particularly Germany and other German-speaking countries. It is a popular surname in Israel and may have been adopted by Jews after the Holocaust. Overall, it is a versatile name with many different variants, spellings and related surnames, which further proves its German roots.
Famous people with the name Ringels
- Jimmy Ringels: Dutch DJ and musician
- Sky Ringels: American surf coach from Hawaii
- Cliff Ringels: American inventor and scientist
- Erwin Ringels: Swiss writer
- Imran Ringels: Indian Muslim-American photographer
- Craig Ringels: American entrepreneur
- Matt Ringels: American artist
- Margaret Ringels: Australian academic
- Barbara Ringels: German artist
- Mary Ringels: Scottish occupational therapist