Surname Teifel - Meaning and Origin
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Teifel: What does the surname Teifel mean?
The last name Teifel is a German name, derived from Teifel, a Middle High German variation of Dietefle, meaning 'little Diet'. The name was popular amongst noble German families in feudal times, likely due to its association with Dietrich, a heroic figure in Germanic folklore.
Today, there are many variations on the Teifel surname, such as Tieffel, Tieffle, Tiebel, Theifel, and Tiefel. Each village and region in Germany also had their own variation of the name, with some using Teifl, Teiflen, Tiefell, Tieffles, Tiebles, and many more.
Teifel is an occupational name, originally describing a worker who specialized in building or repairing period houses and castles. Later, the name was used to describe people in the woodworking and carpenter trade. Those with the Teifel name may even still have relationships to the carpentry guilds.
The Teifel name has spread beyond Germany and is now found in many countries across Europe, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and the UK. It also appears in Spanish, Italian, and French-speaking regions.
Today, the surname Teifel has become a symbol of German heritage and craftsmanship, and it reflects the proud history of the German people. It is clear why the Teifel name is still so common amongst German, and indeed, world-wide families today.
Order DNA origin analysisTeifel: Where does the name Teifel come from?
The last name Teifel (also sometimes spelled “Tiefel”) is a German surname that is still found today in many countries with German populations, particularly in Germany itself as well as Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.
In Germany, the name is most common in the northwestern state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is also relatively prevalent in Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. In Austria, it is found most often in the Tyrol region and the province of Salzburg. In Switzerland, Teifel is predominant in the canton of Zurich.
In the United States, the last name Teifel is first found in Pennsylvania, where it has been found in records since the 19th century. It is also heavily concentrated in the Midwestern states, especially Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana.
The Teifel name is often linked with occupations that involve the trade of goods, such as merchants, shopkeepers, and traders. In many cases, the name has its roots in an ancestor who worked as a carpenter, tailor or shoemaker. In more recent times, many members of the Teifel family have become successful artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, politicians, and religious leaders.
Variations of the surname Teifel
The surname Teifel is derived from the German word “teifl” and can be found in various variants and spellings, including Teipel, Teipel, Teipohl, Teifel, Teiffel, Teiphl, Teipol, Teifl, Teifel, and Teiffl. These variations likely developed due to varying local practices of spelling and pronunciation.
Teifel is also likely to be found in records referencing synonyms of the name from other languages. For example, Teifel belongs to a subset of surnames that derive from the German noun “Teif” or the Czech noun “Tefel”, meaning “pipe” or “wind instrument”. Similarly, variants of Teifel can also be found in Yiddish, such as Teyfel, Teyful, Teiflich and Teyflish. Other surnames related to this root word include Teifke, Teifler and Teiflerin.
Some variants of Teifel might also be found in records spelled with a “v” instead of a “f”, such as Teivel or Teivl. In some cases, an “s” may also be seen - leading to spellings like Teifls or Teivels.
The Teifel surname is also likely to appear as a surname with multiple origins. For example, Teifel may also be associated with the Hebrew name “T’fils” (“prayer”) or the German name “Thiel” (“courageous”). Similarly, it may also be related to the Polish surnames Teofil and Tefill, as well as the Czech surname Tyfel.
Overall, understanding variants of the Teifel surname can be helpful for genealogical research, as many records of the past used different naming conventions and spellings. By examining the various spellings and origins of the surname, researchers can gain a better understanding of their family’s history.
Famous people with the name Teifel
- Gilbert Teifel: Austrian mathematician
- Heinz Teifel: German footballer
- Thomas Teifel: American chemist and academic
- Stephan Teifel: German actor and singer
- Jonas Teifel: German electronic music producer
- Joe Teifel: American voice actor
- Elisabeth Teifel: French writer
- Heinz-Joachim Teifel: German hurdler
- Ernst Teifel: Swiss philologist
- Maximilian Teifel: German sculptor
- Samuel Teifel: Romanian visual artist
- John Teifel: American football player
- Hans Teifel: German schoolteacher and politician
- Helmut Teifel: Austrian composer and conductor
- Reinhart Teifel: German musicologist