Surname Stirnal - Meaning and Origin
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Stirnal: What does the surname Stirnal mean?
The last name Stirnal is of German origin and is derived from a place name. The literal meaning of Stirnal is “border or edge,” an allusion to a location near a border. It could refer to a person or family living in a border or transitional region, such as one between feudal states or between a state and its former imperial power.
The Stirnal surname might also be derived from the Old High German “stirnal,” meaning “limit” or “border.” Therefore, Stirnal could have been used to describe someone who lived at a border or limit marker, such as a tollbooth or road marker. This is likely how the surname could also be related to professions, such as being a toll collector or land surveyor.
The Stirnal surname is quite old and can be found in records dating back to the 1200s, when they were predominantly found in the region of Franconia in northern Bavaria. By the 19th century, Stirnals had migrated to Prussia, Croatia, the United States, and other parts of Europe.
Given its geographical meaning, the Stirnal surname has come to represent a determined and brave spirit. Those with the Stirnal surname have likely come upon hard times and have faced many challenges in life. Despite this, they have shown resilience and an impressive strength of character.
Order DNA origin analysisStirnal: Where does the name Stirnal come from?
The last name Stirnal is commonly seen in Austria and Germany today. It is a German surname meaning "conspicuous" or "striking," and it derives from the word Stirne, which refers to the forehead. The Stirnal name can also be linked to the medieval Prussian town of Stirne in Germany.
The last name Stirnal is recorded in Austria in the late 15th century, and wealthy landowners with the Stirnal name have existed in Germany since at least the 16th century. Families with the Stirnal name were prominently represented among nobility in Austria, where they held titles such as Count and Baron.
The highest concentration of people bearing the Stirnal surname is in Austria, with around 5500 individuals. The last name Stirnal is also found in Germany, where it is more widely distributed, with 2,108 people carrying the name. Additionally, there are small numbers of Stirnal families in the United States, Canada, Norway and elsewhere.
The Stirnal name has likely been around for centuries, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval Prussian town of Stirne in Germany. Families with the Stirnal name continue to live in Austria and Germany, and a few have migrated to other countries around the world.
Variations of the surname Stirnal
The surname Stirnal is derived from the German word “Stirn”, which means forehead. This surname is associated with the nobility in Germany, as nobility members would commonly wear a crown on their forehead as a sign of status. The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Stirnal are the German variants:
Stiern, Stiernal, Steiren, Steirn, Steirnal, Stern, Sternal, Stiernlein, Steirenlein, Steirnlein, and Sternlein. The Dutch variant is Steernaal or Steernaal. In addition, some of the surnames of similar origin include Stirnaman, Sternamann, Sterneiman, and Stermann.
In the United States, the spelling of Stirnal has largely remained the same. It is possible to find slight variations of the same spelling, including Sternel, Sternal, and Sternell, however these are often interchangeable depending on the source. The origins of the spelling variations stem from discrepancies in the phonetic spelling of the surname during immigration from the German speaking nations.
There are a number of variants of the Stirnal surname that are found in the United States, the most common being Stern and Sterner. Americanized versions of these two variants can also be found. These include variations such as Stearns, Stein, and Starnes.
In conclusion, the surname Stirnal is one of many spelling variations of the common German surname with roots in nobility. Alongside the primary spelling, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Stirnal include Stiern, Stiernal, Steiren, Steirn, Steirnal, Stern, Sternal, Stiernlein, Steirenlein, Steirnlein, and Sternlein in German, and Steernaal or Steernaal in Dutch. American variants include Stearns, Stein, and Starnes.
Famous people with the name Stirnal
- August Stirnal: a German mathematician who worked in the field of computational discrete geometry.
- Ondřej Stirnal: a former Czech professional ice hockey defenceman most well-known for his playing stints with West Coast Hockey League's Fresno Falcons.
- Jirka Stirnal: a former European professional strongman competitor and professional arm wrestler.
- Tadeáš Stirnal: a Czech professional ice hockey winger currently playing with HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Tipos Extraliga.
- Jaroslav Stirnal: a Czech-born former alpine skier who competed internationally for France. He represented France in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in the Alpine skiing three events, and in the 1974 Alpine skiing World Championships.
- Tom Stirnal: an American former National Football League player for the Washington Redskins who played center for seven seasons.
- Petr Stirnal: a Czech professional ice hockey forward currently playing with HC Plzeň 1929 of the Czech Extraliga.
- Carl Stirnal: a former professional American hockey player for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League.
- Jan Stirnal: a Czech professional ice hockey centre currently playing in the Czech 1. Liga for HK Havířov 2010.
- Anton Stirnal: a French slalom canoeist who competed in the 1980s and 1990s.