Surname Kießer - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Kießer: What does the surname Kießer mean?
The German surname Kießer is a habitational name from any of various places in Germany named Kießer or Kießertal. The name is derived from the German word kiessen, which means to cut or to break. It is likely that this surname was taken on by people who either lived near or owned a plot of land that was broken or cut at one point.
Kießer can also be seen as a variation of German/Yiddish commonly used for someone who was a cutler, or a maker of knives and other cutting tools. In this case, the surname was likely adopted by a family whose ancestor was in the profession of tool making.
The name Kießer is most commonly found in Germany as well as other parts of Europe. It is also found in the United States, particularly in the areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and New York. The earliest recorded use of Kießer dates back to 1525 in Bavaria Germany, where it is listed as a given name.
Kießer is also known to be a spelling variation of the surname Kisser, which is also of German origin. This surname is found to have adjoining locations in Germany in Czechia and Austria. The origins of Kisser are thought to stem from the towns of Kisslau and Kirschlau, however this is yet to be proven.
In conclusion, the surname Kießer has Germanic origins and is derived from the word kiessen, which means to cut or to break. The name is most commonly found in Germany as well as other parts of Europe and the United States. It is also seen as a variation of the surname Kisser, which is of similar German origin and is found to have adjoining locations in Germany, Czechia and Austria.
Order DNA origin analysisKießer: Where does the name Kießer come from?
The last name Kießer is a German patronymic surname derived from the given name Kieß, a nickname for Christopher. It is a common name in certain regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The surname was first found in Jeverland, a municipality in the Lower Saxon region of Germany, where the original bearer of the name lived. Since then, the name has spread throughout several regions of Germany, although it is most commonly found in the northwest, south, and east. Kießer families are also found in the Austrian Alps and in Switzerland.
Aside from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Kießer is a fairly uncommon name in other parts of Europe, North America, and Australia. However, the name is becoming more visible in places such as the Netherlands and in larger cities like London, Berlin, and Amsterdam.
Though Kießer is an uncommon name around the world, it is still prevalent in the places of origin, particularly Germany. There are hundreds of references to the last name in both civil and church records in Germany, and both the Austrian and Swiss records show references to families bearing the name.
Kießer is a timeless surname that speaks to the history of the family's origin. The many references to the name in various countries and regions of Germany and beyond attest to its long-standing heritage across multiple countries and cultures.
Variations of the surname Kießer
The surname Kießer is a German occupational surname which typically refers to a wool or cloth merchant. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include:
Kießer, Kieß, Kießl, Kießling, Kieser, Kiese, Kiesling, Kies, Kießler, Kiesel, Kieseler, Kieseler, Kieseler, Kiesling, Kissel, Kesseler, Kessel, Kesseling, Kiesow, Kiesing, Kizele, Kieselbach, Kieser, Keß, Kesser, and Keßel.
Kießer and its variants are quite common surnames and were popular in many parts of Germany during the Middle Ages. The Kieser variant and all of its endings are most commonly found in Lower Saxony. The Kiesel variants and their endings are most active in the Westphalia region of Germany, while the Kesser variant is most frequently found in the Baden-Württemberg region.
The spelling of the original Kießer surname has also been known to change over the years, as happened in some other German surnames. Common alternate spellings of Kießer are Kieeser, Kiezser, and Kieser. These and other variants of the original Kießer surname can be found in modern Germany and throughout the world wherever Germans have emigrated during the past two centuries.
Kießer is also a common Jewish surname. It is believed to have originated in Slovakia or Austria, with the surname being taken by Jews during the 17th century. It has since been found across Europe and the Americas. Variants and spellings of Kießer used by Jews may include Kiezser, Keiszer, Kiser, Kiezer, Katz, Kizer, Kyzer, and Kayser.
Famous people with the name Kießer
- Florian Kießer: German singer-songwriter, actor, and television presenter
- Bernd Kießer: German canoeist
- Philip Kießer: German freelance artist, painter and sculptor
- Alexander Kießer: former infantry captain and now software engineer
- Wilhelm Kießer: German playwright, director and theater professor
- Fabian Kießer: German independent filmmaker and video artist
- Karl Kießer: German drummer and percussionist
- Josef Kießer: German engineer and professor at Friedrich Schiller University
- Fritz Kießer: Austrian politician and former governor of Burgenland
- Emil Kießer: Austrian entrepreneur and founder of Kießer Holding GmbH