Surname Cölln - Meaning and Origin

Cölln: What does the surname Cölln mean?

The last name Cölln is a German name of ancient Norse heritage first recorded in Hamburg in 1220. The name is derived from the word "Koll", which means "hill". This reflects the early origin of the name, as Cölln once was a small fishing village located on a hill near Hamburg.

The name Cölln was likely derived from the Old Norse word Kolli, which translates to "the highest hill". This likely referred to the Cölln Hill, where many of the first Cölln families lived in the 12th century.

Cölln is a common German last name in today's society, with hundreds of bearers of the name throughout Germany and abroad. It is used both as a given name and a surname. Some other variants of the surname include Collen, Kollen, Köllen, Köllner, and Köhlen, while its variants in other languages include Köln (in Dutch) and Kolin (in Czech).

The Cölln family is deeply connected to German culture and history, evidenced by its early records and numerous bearers of its name today. Depending on the country, the Cölln surname is sometimes seen in noble families, in businesses, and in families that chose to emigrate to other countries. As such, the Cölln name remains prominent in German culture.

Cölln: Where does the name Cölln come from?

The German surname Cölln is most common today in and around Berlin, Germany.

In the Middle Ages, Cölln was the name of one of two towns on the river Spree that ultimately merged to form the modern city of Berlin. During this time, many people from the nearby town of Berlin adopted or inherited the Cölln name — making it more common in that particular region than it is in other areas of Germany.

Today, the Cölln surname is most often found in the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg, and it's less frequently seen elsewhere in the country. It can also be found in parts of the United States, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Given how Berlin has grown since its merger in the 16th century, it’s inevitable that members of the Cölln family have spread out over the years and the surname can be found in places all around the world. In spite of this, the name Cölln is still most common in and around Berlin — the city that started it all.

Variations of the surname Cölln

The surname Cölln is of German origin, and its variants, spellings and surnames with the same origin include: Colln, Cohln, Coelln, Collen, Coellen, Kelln, Kölln, Koehln, Koelln, Kollen, Koellen, Köhln, Koehlin, Koelen, Kolin.

The word 'Köln' means ‘coal’ in German, and the surname Cölln appears to have derived from it. In some instances, this surname originates from places called Kölln which are found in Germany, including a former state in the area of Brandenburg and Berlin, a small town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and other small villages in Brandenburg and Saxony.

In the 14th century, the most common spelling of the surname Cölln was Kölln, and in the centuries after that, it began to appear with a variety of spellings due to different regional dialects and poor record-keeping of the time.

Variations of the surname Cölln have become quite common in the United States, after a significant number of German immigrants arrived in the New World during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the process, many of the surnames changed due to various spelling mistakes and language differences.

Today, the variant and spelling of the surname Cölln still exists in several different countries, including Germany, Sweden, England, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. It is also found in some parts of the United States, particularly in the heavily German-influenced states of Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Famous people with the name Cölln

• Abraham Cölln (1593-1653), German Protestant physician, philosopher and mayor of Frankfort
• Karl Cölln (1706-1759), German philosopher and playwright
• Barbara Cölln (1737-1810), German singer, actress, and dancer
• Gottfried Cölln (1748-1808), German pianist and composer
• Eduard Cölln (1790-1817), German sculptor and architect
• Charles Cölln (1818-1893), German classical music composer
• August Cölln (1838-1909), German doctor and ornithologist
• Fritz Cölln (1877-1959), German expressionist painter
• Wilhelm Cölln (1909-1986), German lawyer and politician
• Helmut Cölln (1922-1990), German television and film actor

Other surnames

Cöllner