Surname Koeppen - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Koeppen: What does the surname Koeppen mean?
The last name Koeppen is a German surname, believed to have originated from Germany's northern region. The name is associated with a variety of locations, including Hamburg, Osnabrück, and Württemberg. It's believed that the name is derived from the old German word "koeppen," an occupational name for someone who made or sold wooden cups, barrels or tubs.
The family is one of the oldest in Germany, with records of the Koeppen surname dating back to as early as the 13th century, when it is mentioned in the records of a cleric from Osnabrück. The name is also found in documents from Hamburg during the 14th and 15th centuries. It is believed that the name not only arose from the occupation mentioned above, but could also be a nickname for someone with a large head, from the words “kopf” and “kleppen”.
The Koeppen surname is found in a number of other countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. For example, the name is common in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, largely due to immigrants who left Germany in the 1800s.
The contemporary name Koeppen is associated with numerous prominent figures in history, such as German historian Theodor Koeppen, renowned physicist Alfred Koeppen, and author W. G. Sebald. Today, the Koeppen surname continues to be found throughout Germany, keeping the family history alive.
Order DNA origin analysisKoeppen: Where does the name Koeppen come from?
The last name Koeppen is most commonly found in Germany today. It is thought to be of German origins, and it is likely that the family originally came from a region in the north of the country near Hanover. The surname is a topographic name meaning "of Köppen", which was a type of small settlement in what is now Germany.
The surname Koeppen is more commonly known in Germany, but it can also be found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, the surname is primarily found in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan as well as the major cities of New York City and Chicago. It is also noted that the name is especially popular among German, Dutch, and Scandinavian immigrants that came to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Koeppen family is still found in Europe in countries like Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. In Germany, the name is primarily associated with the city of Köppen near Bremen in northwestern Germany. In Austria, the Koeppen name is mostly associated with the region of Salzburg in the southeastern side of the country.
The name Koeppen is also found in Scandinavia. It is most common in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
In conclusion, the surname Koeppen is primarily found in German speaking countries like Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, as well as in other countries with Germanic populations like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
Variations of the surname Koeppen
The surname Koeppen is a variation of Köppen, which is of German and Scandinavian origin. The name is derived from the Middle High German word “koepen” which means “to keep” or “to hold”.
The root of this surname can be found in many other spellings and surnames, including Koep, Köping, Kope, Koepen, Koeppen, Köppen, Köpping, Köp, Köpp, Köpig and Köpke. Some of these variants, such as Köppen, Köpping and Köpig, can also be found with an umlaut (ö).
The variants of Koeppen can also be found outside of Germany, such as in the Netherlands where the names Koep, Köping, Kope, Koepen, Koeppen, Köppen, Köpping, Köp, Köpp, Köpig and Köpke can be used interchangeably depending on the region. In some cases, Dutch-speaking families may also spell variants of the name as Coep, Koeping, Kop, Coepen, Koeppen, Köppingen, Copp, Coppig and Koepke.
In the United States, some families may also render their surname as Coepen, Copen, Coeppen, Keppen, Coppen and Coppin. Although each of these surnames originates from the same root word, some may have been adapted over time based on the different regional dialects.
Famous people with the name Koeppen
- Kenneth Koeppen, actor and producer known for his roles in Burn Notice and The Walking Dead.
- Julian Koeppen, German World Cup ski racer who competed in the 1995 World Championships.
- Gretchen Koeppen, American photojournalist and film director best known for her documentary films.
- Wolfgang Koeppen, German author, considered one of the most important literary voices of the post-World War II era.
- Karl Koeppen, German zoologist and professor who wrote a four-volume text about animal physiology.
- Rolf Koeppen, German Grand Prix motorcycle racer from the 1960s and 1970s.
- Carola Koeppen, German classical singer and founder of the vocal ensemble "Vox Feminae".
- Manfred Koeppen, German actor, known for his roles in the films Anatomy of a Double Murder and The Accident.
- Edward Koeppen, American philanthropist and businessman who founded the Koeppen Family Foundation.
- Joachim Koeppen, German sound engineer and mix engineer known for his work on films such as The Lives of Others and Mephisto.