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Surname Kaplaner - Meaning and Origin

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Kaplaner: What does the surname Kaplaner mean?

The last name Kaplaner is a Jewish and Yiddish surname indicating a person descended from a family of biblical priests. The name Kaplaner is derived from the Hebrew kohen, meaning "priest." In ancient Judea, a Kohen was a descendant of the Levite priesthood, a member of a select class of Israelites responsible for the daily religious rituals in the Temple of Jerusalem. Kaplaner may have originated from families of Kohanim who moved to other parts of Europe and became localized to the country in which they resided.

Many people bearing the Kaplaner surname today likely originate from Eastern Europe, where Jewish populations have a long and storied history. The surname likely started in the smaller Jewish communities of Lithuania and Belarus, where communities of Kohanim often settled. There is also evidence to suggest that some Kaplaner families arrived in Europe from the Middle East.

Kaplaner is an uncommon name, but is shared by many people across a variety of countries. In the United States, it is most common in the northeast, particularly in New York and New Jersey. Other countries in which the name is popular include Israel, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Although the name Kaplaner is fairly rare, the presence of the surname in so many different countries is indicative of the vast migrations of Jews in the centuries following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Kohen priesthood and the shared Jewish history of many countries.

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Kaplaner: Where does the name Kaplaner come from?

The last name Kaplaner is most commonly found today in Poland and Israel. The name is derived from the German surname “Kaplan”, which means chaplain. It is believed that the first use of this last name was in the late 18th century in then Prussian-occupied Poland.

The Kaplaner version of the surname is used by those of Polish-Jewish decent, which explains why the name is most commonly found in Poland and Israel today. It is estimated that there are over 5,000 people with the Kaplaner surname living in Poland, making it one of the most popular surnames in the country.

In Israel, where a large population of Jewish people now live, there are still a few hundred people with the Kaplaner surname. It is believed that most of them are descendants of the Polish immigrants who moved to Israel in the late 19th century to avoid persecution.

The Kaplaner surname is still occasionally found in other countries, including in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. However, the number of people living in these countries is much smaller than in Poland and Israel, so the surname is still not common.

Variations of the surname Kaplaner

The Kaplaner surname originates from Germany and is most commonly found in Central and Eastern European Jewish populations. It is derived from the Hebrew word כפל “Kippel”, meaning bent or curved. The most common variants of Kaplaner are Kapelner, Kappelner, Kaplun and Koppelner. These are all derived from the same Hebrew root word, with slight variations on the spelling.

In addition, Kaplaner is also sometimes spelled as Kaphlaner, Kaplan, Kopplaner and Kapplaner. These versions are less common and are a result of changes in pronunciation from region to region.

The Kaplaner surname may also have some related surnames, such as Caplan, Koppel, Koplun and Koplansky. These surnames, however, have different origins and roots, mostly in Yiddish or Slavic.

Overall, the Kaplaner surname and its variants are found mostly in Central and Eastern European Jewish populations. The forms of the surname may vary depending on geography, with some being more common than others, but they all ultimately come from the same Hebrew root word כפל “Kippel”, meaning bent or curved.

Famous people with the name Kaplaner

  • Sienna Kapler: an American/Italian actress
  • Eric Kapler: an American professional baseball manager
  • Edward Kapler: a former professional ice hockey player
  • Clifford Kapler: a professional American basketball player
  • Mark Kapler: an American pro poker player
  • Kenneth Kaplaner: a Canadian actor
  • David Kaplaner: a prominent American composer and educator
  • Jeffrey Kapler: an American television actor
  • Norman Kapler: a Jewish-American artist
  • Henry Kapler: an American poet and author

Other surnames

KaplanKaplanskiKaplansky

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