Surname Keglmaier - Meaning and Origin
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Keglmaier: What does the surname Keglmaier mean?
The last name Keglmaier is of German origin and refers to an individual who was a barrel-maker. The name itself is a combination of two German words: Kegel, which means "barrel" and Maier, which means "maker".
Barrel-making was a valuable skill throughout the medieval period and was an important trade in Bavaria and the surrounding regions, especially during the Age of Enlightenment. During this time, barrels were essential for storing goods such as wine, beer, materials for building, and a variety of other things.
Individuals kind enough to craft these barrels to society would be greatly valued for their services. People with the surname Keglmaier are thus thought to have descended from a line of barrel-makers, which could explain why some families adopted it as a surname.
In more recent times, the name Keglmaier has come to be found around the world and while the name itself is quite rare, those who bear it still carry the legacy of the skilled traders and craftsmen of the past.
Today, it is an especially popular name in Austria with many of the Keglmaier family members living in the regions of Styria, Burgenland, and Lower Austria. In terms of variations, Keglmeier is the most common variant of Keglmaier.
The last name Keglmaier carries with it the legacy of those skilled craftsmen of the past and is a reminder of what it truly means to be a skilled artisan and provide valuable services for society.
Order DNA origin analysisKeglmaier: Where does the name Keglmaier come from?
The surname Keglmaier is mainly associated with southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy. The origin of the name likely dates to the 12th century, when German and Italian noble families adopted the name to differentiate themselves from others in society.
Today, Keglmaier is one of the most common surnames in Austria, especially in the provinces of Lower Austria, Carinthia, and Styria, where it is the 230th most common name. It is also less common but still prevalent in Italy, especially in the Trentino region, where it ranks as the 653rd most common surname.
In Germany, Keglmaier is found mainly in the southern states, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where it is the 5,104th most commonly occurring surname. It is also present in the Netherlands and in countries with large German-speaking populations, such as the United States. In the US, the name is significantly less common, ranking at the 16,286th most common surname.
Overall, the Keglmaier surname is most common in Austria, followed by Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, with a much lower frequency in the US. It is likely that the surname is the result of different German and Italian noble families, and today it is still associated with its ancestral countries, remaining an important part of traditional German and Italian culture.
Variations of the surname Keglmaier
The surname Keglmaier is generally known to be a German-Austrian surname originating from the Bavarian regions of Southern Germany. It is often spelled Kehlmaier or Köhlmaier, and may have developed over time from the Middle High German word “kel”, which means “ukelele” or “pan flute”.
The various spellings and variants of the name Keglmaier likely derive from the same origin, though exact regional dialects or regional spellings may differ. The German spelling is Köhlmaier, with the “ö” being pronounced like “e”. In Austria, the spelling Keglmaier is still more common.
Variants of Keglmaier include Keilmaier, Kehlmaier and Kielmaier. Other spellings include Kenermaier, Keglmeyer, Kielmeyer and Kögermaier. Variants or alternate spellings of the surname often develop within families or regional dialects, based on the family’s language preference or regional accent, or on how the name was phonetically spelled in old documents before standardized spelling conventions were invented.
Surnames of the same origin may also exist, such as Kählmaier, Kehlmeir, Köhlmeier and Kehlmeier. Surnames of the same origin often have several variations as new generations form different spellings over time. Keglmaier is of German-Austrian origin, and is frequently found in the southern part of Germany and Austria.
Famous people with the name Keglmaier
- Karl Keglmaier: he was the Austrian Minister of Finance for three terms from 1974-1983.
- Paul Keglmaier: he was an Austrian politician and diplomat.
- Johannes Keglmaier: he was an Austrian entomologist.
- Andrej Keglmaier: he is an active Austrian painter and sculptor.
- Georg Keglmaier: he was an Austrian painter and illustrator.
- Franz Keglmaier: he was an Austrian collector and historian.
- Ernest Keglmaier: he was an Austrian physicist and mathematician.
- Lisa Keglmaier: she is a professional football player from Austria.
- Albert Keglmaier: he was an Austrian naturalist and explorer.
- Cristina Keglmaier: she is an Austro-Brazilian actress.