Surname Geißdorf - Meaning and Origin
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Geißdorf: What does the surname Geißdorf mean?
The surname Geißdorf is a German toponymic surname, derived from a habitational name that originated in several places in Germany. It is derived from the Middle High German word "gese" or "giße" meaning “goat”, and the word "dorf", meaning “village”, so the name literally means “goat village”.
The earliest documented mention of this name was in the late 13th century, when a certain Johann de Geysoford was mentioned in records from 1282. This indicates that this name was likely used by a number of families for many years prior to this. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in the 16th and 17th centuries, when members of the Geißdorf family settled in a number of locations in southwestern Germany, notably Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
In modern times, there are several notable bearers of the name. One of the most famous is the late German footballer Helmut Geißdorf, who played for Bayern Munich and the West German national team during the 1970s. Others include the German mathematician Walter Geißdorf, the Olympic gold medallist Raimund Geissdorf, and the Austrian musician Manfred Geißdorf.
Today, the Geißdorf surname is still in widespread use in Germany, Austria, and other parts of Central Europe. Although the original meaning of the name has been lost over the years, it is still seen as a proud reminder of the family’s German heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisGeißdorf: Where does the name Geißdorf come from?
The last name Geißdorf is a German surname which has its origin in the Middle Ages and can be found today mainly in Germany as well as in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. The highest concentration of people with this surname is found in the German states of Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Northrhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
The name Geißdorf originates from a place-name, meaning “village of goats” (Geiß = goat; Dorf = village). It was used to indicate the village of origin of the bearer of the name. Several places in Germany were named Geißdorf: in the Bavarian city of Waldsassen and Freudenberg (district of Lichtenfels), in Hesse, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
The Geißdorf family line can be traced back to 1691, when Hans Geißdorf, a furrier, married Maria Seibert in Waldsassen. From that time on the name was persistent in Waldsassen until the middle of the 19th century and the family still has some descendants there.
Other descendants of the original Geißdorf family have spread out across Germany over the centuries. Some of them are still living in Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Northrhine-Westphalia. There are also several living in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
In general, people with the last name Geißdorf have found their home in Germany and the neighbouring countries – especially in the states of Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Northrhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
Variations of the surname Geißdorf
The surname Geißdorf is an old German name which comes from the words "Goiß" or "Geiß" which mean “goat” and “dorf”, meaning “town”. This surname is believed to have started in Germany in the Middle Ages when towns and villages were named after the animals that lived nearby.
The variant spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Geißdorf include Geissdorf, Geise, Gees, Goist, Goest, Geesen, Geisen, Gais, Geisz, Goez, Gaiz, Guese, Gaisen, Geutenberg, Geiszendorf, Geisendorfer, Geiszinger, Geisent, Geissent, Geissentdorfer, Geissendörfer, Geissentdörfer, Geissdorfer, Geisendörfer, and Geiszndorfer.
The spelling of the surname, especially in the early years, was inconsistent and varied by region. It is uncertain whether some of the other spellings were adopted by families by choice or by mistake. It has been found in various documents written in a variety of different spellings, so it could simply be that different people recorded it differently.
In any case, all these spellings are of the same origin and refer to the same small town of Geißdorf, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Its history dates back many centuries to the early Middle Ages when it was established by a man called Achtiemus, who called it 'Goitdorf'. Today, this former village is now part of the town of Illingen.
The surname Geißdorf is still popular in some parts of Europe, especially in Germany and the surrounding countries, while in other countries like the United States and Canada, there are far fewer people with this surname. Still, it is an interesting surname which is full of history and clearly linked to a connected past.
Famous people with the name Geißdorf
- Moritz Geißdorf, a German writer and novelist who won the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in 2016.
- Julius Geißdorf, a German composer and organist lived in the 18th century.
- Philip H. Geissdorf, a German-American engineer and filmmaker born in 1847.
- Phillipe Geißdorf, a French composer, songwriter born in 1965.
- Henry Geissdorf, a German scientist and explorer born in 1809.
- Heinz Geißdorf, a German economist and historian born in 1900.
- Hans Geißdorf, the founder of the first arts and crafts school in Switzerland born in 1894.
- Thomas Geißdorf, a Swiss actor, 3 time winner of the Swiss Film Prize born in 1976.
- Karl Geißdorf, the first Swiss professor in the field of natural sciences in 1819.
- Fritz Geißdorf, a German jurist, professor and author born in 1931.