Surname Rockel - Meaning and Origin
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Rockel: What does the surname Rockel mean?
The last name Rockel is of German origin and is derived from the occupational surname "Rochel," which was a German word for a tailor. The name was originally given to someone who had a job as a tailor or who frequently worked with fabric or cloth, and eventually the surname was adopted as a hereditary surname.
In the German language, 'rocken' means to cut or to trim fabric, and this is the likely origin of the Rockel name. Although the exact origin of the name is uncertain, it is believed to have first originated in the Bavarian region of Germany. From there, the name spread throughout Europe and eventually to the United States.
From there, the Rockel name has been passed down through the generations and is still found in many parts of the world today. It is a popular surname that is shared by many families, and it often carries connotations of hard work and skill. It is also a reminder of the importance of manual labor in past generations and the importance of handing down values to the next generation.
Order DNA origin analysisRockel: Where does the name Rockel come from?
The last name Rockel is most commonly found in Germany today, particularly in Northwestern Germany and the Rhineland. The origin of the name is German, with two possible meanings. It can either mean "rock" or "little patch", most likely referring to a small field or garden. The earliest recorded use of Rockel as a surname was in 1200.
Rockel is most concentrated in the state of Lower Saxony. In a 1990 study, nearly 5,000 people in Germany were recorded as having the surname Rockel. The name is scattered throughout Germany, but clusters have been found in certain areas including around Paderborn and Bielefeld in the lower western region of North Rhine-Westphalia, in Oberhausen in the lower Rhineland, in the southern districts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saarland, the northern states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, and in the old Hanseatic ports of Rostock and Lübeck.
The name is also found in the United States, with the earliest recorded use of the name in the 18th century. Most commonly found in the Midwestern states, the name Rockel is recorded mainly in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana, though there are scattered Rockels in other states. Though most people with the surname Rockel in America are of German heritage, there are records of people of other ethnic backgrounds with the surname, such as African-Americans.
Variations of the surname Rockel
The surname Rockel has its roots in Middle High German, and is primarily found in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. The Rockel surname is derived from the Middle High German word "rockele", meaning "small rock". Variations, spellings, and surnames that have the same origin as Rockel are listed below:
Variations: Rockle, Rokel, Ruckle, Ruckel
Spellings: Roeckel, Roekel, Rukäl, Ruokel, Roockle
Surnames: Rockli, Rockelmann, Rockhuber, Rockelburg, Roeckelein, Roeckelmann, Roukele, Rocklein.
Most of these variations, spellings, and surnames have similar pronunciations, and some can be traced back to the same geographical areas as Rockel. The Rockel and Rockle spellings, in particular, are easily interchangeable, and Rockle can sometimes be found as a derivative of the original surname. The Rockli and Rockelmann surnames are German variants, and the Rockhuber and Rockelburg variations are seen mainly in Austria. The Roeckelein surname is an uncommon variant, found primarily in Germany, and Roeckelmann and Roukele are also found in Germany and Hungary. Rocklein is a rare surname, found primarily in Austria.
Famous people with the name Rockel
- Agnes Rockel: German politician and former Member of the European Parliament for the Christian Democratic Union Party.
- Lou Rockel: Professional female basketball player and hall of fame inductee.
- Lothar Rockel: Internationally acclaimed German organ player and composer
- Horst Rockel: German engineer and professor of electrical engineering
- Brandt Rockel: Professional US swimmer.
- Gertrude Rockel: German politician and first Mayor of Leichlingen
- Manfred Rockel: German author and journalist
- Walter Rockel: German mathematician
- Konrad Rockel: German entrepreneur and film producer
- Richard Rockel: Professional US baseball player