Surname Zoellner - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'Z'
Zoellner: What does the surname Zoellner mean?
The last name Zoellner is of German origin, and is essentially a variation of the German surname "Zöllner", meaning a customs official. The surname Zöllner, in turn, is derived from German “zoll” meaning “customs”. The surname Zoellner is most commonly found in southern Germany and may have originally been used to denote a person who was employed as an official in charge of collecting customs duties. The Zoellner family has been traditionally associated with the German states of Bavaria and Hesse.
In more recent times, the Zoellner name has become associated with German-American migration to the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result, the surname Zoellner is now found in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The Zoellner name may also be adopted by people who have moved to other parts of the world and are seeking to differentiate themselves from the original German population. For example, some Germans from the former Soviet Union adopted the name Zoellner in the mid-20th century in order to distance themselves from their Russian roots.
Overall, the name Zoellner is meant to represent an official or someone of high position and honor, with the connotations of customs duties associated with it. This connotation may connect to the idea that family lines have social class histories, illustrating the continuing importance of social status in many societies.
Order DNA origin analysisZoellner: Where does the name Zoellner come from?
The last name Zoellner is most commonly found in Germany today. In recent decades, it has also spread to some other parts of Europe, and to the United States and other countries with large German-speaking communities.
According to surname data collected from consumer DNA testing, the name is currently most common in modern Germany, with several thousand people carrying the surname. It is also frequent in Austria and Switzerland, and found in modest numbers elsewhere in Europe, including in the Netherlands, Denmark, and France.
In the United States, the Zoellner name is concentrated primarily in the Midwestern states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota – states that traditionally attracted large numbers of German immigrants. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are a few thousand Americans bearing the surname, the majority of whom are concentrated in the Midwest.
Meanwhile, the name is found in Australia and Canada, and increasingly in countries like Colombia and Mexico that are home to well-established German-speaking communities, albeit in much smaller numbers than in Germany.
Variations of the surname Zoellner
The surname Zoellner has several variants and spellings, including Zellner, Zöllner, Zell, Cellner, Zeller, Cellner, Cellar, Zellner, Zoelner, Söllner, Soellner, Soellner, Solner, Soeller, Soler, and Zilner.
Zellner is a German surname in which the root is "zell," meaning "cell" or "cellar," and the suffix -ner, a Germanic patronymic, indicating that its bearer was the son of somebody who originated from Zell.
Cellner is a variation of the German surname Zellner, as it replaces the "Z" at the beginning with the letter "C." The meaning of Cellner is identical to that of Zellner.
Zeller is another variant of Zellner. The origin is the same as its more common form, but its spelling is slightly different. Similarly, Cellar is another variant, but it replaces the -ner suffix at the end of the name with -ar, just like Zeller does with the -er suffix.
Zellner is also sometimes spelled as Zoelner and Soellner. The letter “O” is the German version of the English letter “Z,” so Zoelner and Soellner are considered simply different spellings of the same surname.
Finally, Zilner is a rare variation of the German surname Zellner. It adds an "i" at the beginning of the name and totally replaces the "z" with it. This replaced “z” can be thought as a Lithuanian letter.
Famous people with the name Zoellner
- Dr. Tobias Zoellner: German intellectual, writer and leader in the field of postmodernism and psychological research.
- Fritz Zoellner: German manufacturer and entrepreneur in the automobile industry.
- James Zoellner: American actor who has appeared in feature films, television, and commercials.
- William Zoellner: American author and poet.
- Eric Zoellner: European second team American Football coach.
- Dr. Jan Zoellner: German economist, consultant and entrepreneur.
- Matthew Zoellner: American professional golfer.
- Timo Zoellner: Swiss professor of economics at the University of Zurich.
- Berenika Zoellner: Polish visual artist whose works are primarily abstract paintings and sculptures.
- Christina Zoellner: Austrian beauty queen and actress.