Surname Köbli - Meaning and Origin
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Köbli: What does the surname Köbli mean?
The last name Köbli is derived from a personal name meaning “blacksmith” or “smith” in German. It can also mean “coppersmith.” The name is derived from the root word kobel which means “anvil,” the tool used by a blacksmith.
This occupational surname likely began as an indicator of a family’s profession and as such its first bearer was likely a blacksmith or other metalworker. The surname was popular among the working class of medieval Germany. It was likely adopted by other nationalities during later migration and foreign rule.
The Köbli surname is fairly common in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It is also found in other parts of the world including North America, Eastern Europe, and South America.
Another variation of this surname is Kobylinski. This variation likely came about due to local language influences in the area the family comes from. Still other variants of this surname could exist due to phonetic changes and migrations.
The surname Köbli is associated with hard work and skill. It not only indicates the skill of blacksmithing but also a family’s resourcefulness and intelligence. In modern day, it is a reminder of the craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.
Order DNA origin analysisKöbli: Where does the name Köbli come from?
The last name Köbli is most commonly associated with countries in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland.
In Germany, the surname Köbli is most prominently found in the Uckermark district of Brandenburg – the state of Berlin – as well as in Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and Hesse. According to the German telephone directory, in early 2021 the Köbli surname was the 731st most common family name in Germany, with 3,854 people registered.
In Austria, the less-common spelling Kobl is most common in Lower Austria and Vienna, where it is a statistically significant name. According to the Austrian telephone directory, in early 2021, Kobl was the 530th most common family name in Austria.
The spelling Köbli is much more common in Hungary, where it is the 131st most common family name according to the Hungarian telephone directory. Most Köbli families can be found around Budapest, with the majority in historian Pest county and Komárom-Esztergom county, located northwest of Budapest.
In Switzerland, the surname Köbli is found mainly in Canton Schwyz, most commonly in the villages of Einsiedeln and Wollerau.
The Köbli surname is a rare one, especially outside Central and Eastern Europe, although a few families bearing the Köbli surname do live in other parts of Europe, especially in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Others have emigrated to the United States or Canada.
Variations of the surname Köbli
The surname Köbli has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variations are Köbeli, Köble, Köbbel, Köbel, Köbbelin, Köbell, Köblein, Köbbing, Köbbingen, Köbs, Köbbinger, Köbser, Köble, Köblen, Köbner and Kobelli.
Köbli is a German surname and is derived from the Middle High German word ‘köbel’, which means 'bag'. The suffix ‘-i’ is a patronymic ending, commonly used in Germany, indicating a son of someone called Köbel.
The variants of the surname are regional spellings that have changed with their geographic locations. Köbs is a Holland spelling, while Köbbelin is a North German spelling. Köbbing is a spelling that is commonly found in East Frisia, and Köbner is a variant that is commonly found in Austria.
The surnames Köblen and Kobelli can also be derived from the same origin because the spelling variants of surnames were commonly simplified during registration processes. These variants are derived from either Köbli or Köbeli, as the letter ‘ö’ was often simplified to an ‘o’.
Apart from the variants of Köbli, there are other surnames of the same origin, such as Köbel, Köbbingen and Köblein. Köbel is often attested to the 15th century, and is the oldest documented variant of the surname. Köbbingen is a common variant of the surname, which was especially popular in East Frisia in the 16th century. Meanwhile, Köblein is also derived from Köbeli but the ‘-i’ at the end was replaced with the ‘-ein’ suffix, which is a signifier of German nobility.
Famous people with the name Köbli
- Alex Köbli: Swiss architect specializing in sustainable architecture.
- Chantal Köbli: Swiss actress and singer.
- Edith Köbli: Swiss snowboard and freeskiing world champion.
- Fritz Köbli: Swiss landscape painter.
- Ivana Köbli Vrána: Swiss legal scholar and law professor.
- Roberto Köbli: Swiss football player, former team captain of the Swiss National Team.
- Sophie Köbli: Swiss actress.
- Seraphina Köbli: Swiss musician and composer.
- Tobias Köbli: Swiss painter and sculptor.
- Viktor Köbli: Swiss cyclist, renowned for his achievements in the Tour de Suisse.