Surname Große-Katthöfer - Meaning and Origin
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Große-Katthöfer: What does the surname Große-Katthöfer mean?
The last name Große-Katthöfer is a German-language surname, originating in northern Germany. It is composed of two words, "Große" and "Katthöfer," which have both been used within the German language for centuries. The historiography of the name leads to the conclusion that it derives from an occupational surname.
"Große" means "large" or "grand," and was an appellation used to describe the landholders and landowners in the region. Examples of the surnames of these grand families include Große-Kaufmann, Große-Werneke, Große-Rutenfeld, and Große-Gutknecht.
"Katthöfer" is derived from a combination of two Middle High German words; "katz," a word referring to a brave, robber-like warrior, and "höfer," a nobleman's estate or farmland. Put together, it could mean a brave nobleman or a courageous landowner. The suffix "-er" signifies the belonging to someone or something, as in the “owner or resident" of an estate.
The combined Große-Katthöfer surname likely referred to a long line of noble German families who owned large estates or farms—families likely well-known for their bravery and courage. These families were likely prominent and socially influential during the Middle Ages, and may have further contributed to the culture and history of Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisGroße-Katthöfer: Where does the name Große-Katthöfer come from?
The last name Große-Katthöfer is still common today, mainly in Germany. In fact, it ranks amongst the 200 most common surnames in this country. The origin of the name is derived from its basic words, which descendants of the original family maintain to this day – ‘Grosse’ meaning great or big, and ‘Katthofer’ deriving from 'Kathofer' which could be defined as 'cat-hewer'.
The original family is believed to be from the Eifel region in western Germany, an area of history, culture and tradition, which has been a source of many A-grade surnames. As a result, the name Große-Katthöfer is associated with this region, and there are many towns in the Eifel area where the surname is still present.
The name Große-Katthöfer is spread throughout western Germany today, but is particularly common in Dusseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. This makes sense given the original source of the name from the Eifel region nearby.
Out of Germany, the name Große-Katthöfer is also present in Belgium and the Netherlands. Belgium has historically been very close to the Germanic regions, and Dutch although belonging to a different language family is very closely related to German and preserves many of its features.
Overall, the name Große-Katthöfer is still common in many German speaking regions, and continues to be associated with the Eifel region from where the name originated centuries ago.
Variations of the surname Große-Katthöfer
The surname Große-Katthöfer can be spelled in many different ways, and may also include different variants and surnames of the same origin.
Variations of this surname in German include Gross or Große-Kathofer, Großekatthofer, Grosskatthofer, Großkatthöfer as well as Grosskatthoefer. In the Netherlands, the surname can be spelled as Grootkatthof of Grotekatthof. In the United States, the surname can be Americanized to Grosskathofer and converted to Katzofer is the name is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin.
Surnames with the same origin as Große-Katthöfer include Grossekathofer, Groszekathofer, and Großekathöfer as well as Grossekatthof, Grotekatthofer, and Grotekatthöfer.
The surname Große-Katthöfer is derived from the combination of the German words "Gross" and "Katthof". In German it means “large farm or estate,” probably referencing land owned by a family.
The surname is said to have originated in Bavaria and it is likely that the original bearer of the surname occupied or owned a large estate in the region. The surname is most commonly found in areas of Germany, Austria and the Netherlands with people bearing the name having emigrated to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Famous people with the name Große-Katthöfer
- Ulrich Große-Katthöfer, German-French writer, historian and philosopher
- Christina Große-Katthöfer, German sociologist
- Claudia Große-Katthöfer, German actress
- Erik Große-Katthöfer, International eSports referee, event organiser and commentator
- Günther Große-Katthöfer, German politician
- Frank Große-Katthöfer, German musician and composer
- Max Große-Katthöfer, German politician
- Jutta Große-Katthöfer, German Olympic diver
- Erich Große-Katthöfer, German lawyer and author
- Horst Große-Katthöfer, German director, producer and scriptwriter