Surname Kehlmeyer - Meaning and Origin
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Kehlmeyer: What does the surname Kehlmeyer mean?
The last name Kehlmeyer is of German origin and is believed to have derived from a local place name. It is thought to have originated from the old Germanic pre 7th century word 'kailen' meaning 'chalk'. The name was most likely given to a family who either owned or lived near a very pale area of soil.
The earliest known founding of the surname Kehlmeyer was recorded in the 13th century, when one Dietrich von Kehlmeyer was documented in 1260. He was a nobleman and Administrator of Baden, modern-day Germany. Over the next few centuries, the surname began to spread throughout Germany, and during this time, variants of the name emerged.
Today, the surname is still considered relatively rare in Germany, though there are some small communities that have populated since the 14th century, and the name remains more common in the south of the country.
The Kehlmeyer surname is incredibly old and significant in German history, with many proudly bearing this name still today. In modern Germany, the name corresponds to a variety of professions, including butchers, brewers, and farmers.
Order DNA origin analysisKehlmeyer: Where does the name Kehlmeyer come from?
The surname Kehlmeyer is most common in Germany today, though it may also be found in other countries with German or other Central/Northern European ancestry. Kehlmeyer is a fairly rare surname, with only a few hundred individuals bearing the name, based on the most recent census data.
In Germany, the surname Kehlmeyer is concentrated in the state of Bavaria and the city of Hamburg. According to research done by Genealogical Suasion – a resource for genealogists researching their German roots – the most numbers of Kehlmeyers are found in the state of Bavaria, located in the south of the country. This is where the name originated, first appearing in the village of Fiederling.
Kehlmeyer is also found in Austria, specifically in the Lower Austria region and the city of Vienna. The name may also be found in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of St. Gallen where the family lived in the village of Berneck.
Immigrants from these countries often brought the Kehlmeyer surname with them to their new homes. Today, descendants of these immigrants living in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom may still carry the name.
Variations of the surname Kehlmeyer
The surname Kehlmeyer is derived from the phrase "Kelm", which is German for "coffin". The spelling of the surname has evolved over time, with variations often seen in historical records.
Common variants of Kehlmeyer include:
Kahlmeir, Kolmayr, Kehlmaier, Köhlmeyer, Kahlmeier, Köhlmaier, Kellemeier, Köllemeier, Kollmeier, and Kellemaier.
Surnames of the same origin include: Kehl, Kahl, Köhl, Köhlmeyer, Kelle, Kellemeier, Köllemeyer, and Köllemaier.
Many family lines of Kehlmeyer have emigrated from Germany to America, Australia, and other far flung places around the world. Today, the surname is common throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Kehlmeyer was a noble family in Germany, and some variants of the name denote the title of nobility. This nobility is sometimes derived from the use of a “von” before the surname, such as the spelling von Kehlmeyer.
The spelling of Kehlmeyer is not fixed and belongs to a family of surnames; each family member is likely to use a slightly different spelling. The same is true for its variants and related surnames, with many slight variations in spelling being found in historical records.
Famous people with the name Kehlmeyer
- Marc Kehlmeyer: German professional footballer who has played for clubs like FC Viktoria Köln and Eintracht Braunschweig.
- David Kehlmeyer: Austrian contemporary artist known for his watercolour paintings.
- Martina Kehlmeyer: German Olympic swimmer who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- Brigitte Kehlmeyer: Swiss Chef who is the author of two cookbooks and the director of the cooking school Cooks & More.
- Walther Kehlmeyer: German former footballer who played for the German national team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
- Victoria Kehlmeyer: German CrossFit athlete who won 3rd place in the 2016 CrossFit Open Germany.
- Cailin Kehlmeyer: Lead singer of the German metalcore band Drawers.
- Robert Kehlmeyer: German journalist and editor of several popular German magazines.
- Preben Kehlmeyer: Danish retired footballer who played in defending positions for Danish clubs like Odense Boldklub and AB Copenhagen.
- Claus Kehlmeyer: German former long-distance runner who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics.