Surname Köhnel - Meaning and Origin
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Köhnel: What does the surname Köhnel mean?
The last name Köhnel is a German surname. It is derived from a shortened version of the name “Konrad”, derived from the Germanic given name “Konrad” which translates to “bold counsel” or “wise advisor”. Accordingly, the Köhnel surname can be thought to indicate a person of strong advice or wisdom. The surname is common throughout Germany, notably in rural Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also fairly common in Switzerland, and can be found amongst other German speaking nations.
Throughout history, the Köhnel surname is strongly associated with the Christian religion, and its members have made major contributions to the Catholic Church throughout the centuries. For example, in the 16th century, Johannes Köhnel served as an adviser to Pope Gregory XIII, having previously served in multiple missionary roles throughout Europe.
Today, there are Köhnel individuals found in many different professions, ranging from medicine to engineering, commerce to politics. Across the world, Köhnel families have actively involved themselves in many influential and meaningful endeavours, contributing much to the growth of humanity and culture. As a result of the endeavours of the Köhnel name, this surname has become synonymous with knowledge and leadership, showing that the pride of it’s legacy lives on.
Order DNA origin analysisKöhnel: Where does the name Köhnel come from?
The surname Köhnel is most commonly found throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland today. It is a German name that likely originated in East/Central Europe and spread throughout the German-speaking countries during the medieval or early modern era. According to the genealogical website Verwandt.de, Köhnel is the 42,535th most common surname in Germany, and it is also ranked in the top 12,000 surnames in Austria and Switzerland.
In Germany, Köhnel is primarily found in the Bavarian region in the south of the country. It is also common in the states of Thuringia and Saxony, both of which are in the eastern quadrant, and it is seen in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia in the west. In Austria, the highest concentration of Köhnels is in the state of Styria, particularly in and around the city of Graz. In Switzerland, the surname is most concentrated in the cantons around Lake Constance in the east, but it is also seen in the northern part of the country and across the border in the principality of Liechtenstein.
The surname Köhnel is generally associated with professions such as farming, banking, metalworking, and blacksmithing. It is thought that those who bore the surname came from many different social classes, including traders, townspeople and noble families. Today, people bearing the surname Köhnel are found all over Europe, from German-speaking nations to the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the United States.
Variations of the surname Köhnel
The surname Köhnel is a German patronymic surname derived from the given name Kohin. It is derived from the Middle High German words “koh” and “hinal”, meaning “calf-slope”.
The most common variants of this surname are Köhne, Köhn, Koehne, Kohne, Koen, Koenen, Könen, Könen, Koenig, Köning, Köninger, Koeninger, König, Köningen, Konig, Königke, Köninger and Koening.
Köhnel is also spelled as Köhl, Kohl, Köhler and Koehler.
The surnames Kohlmann, Kohnemann, Kohnen, Köhnen, Köhner, Köhring, Köhlmann, Köhlen, Köller, Kehner, Keehner and Köhele, have the same origin as the surname Köhnel and are closely related.
Other German and Dutch variants such as Koen, Koenen, Koning, König, Königs, Könnig and Koenigsmann are unrelated to the surname Köhnel.
In the US, the surnames Köhnel and Koehne may also appear as Koon, Koontz, Kunz, Kuntz, Kins, Kunkel, Kunke, Coon, Konkle, Conkle, Coontz and Conklin.
In the UK, the surname Köhnel is commonly spelled as Kuhn(e).
Famous people with the name Köhnel
- Benjamin Köhnel: a German modern pentathlete.
- Andreas Köhnel: a German swimmer and bronze medalist at the European Junior Swimming Championships in 1997.
- Ludmilla Köhnel: a German figure skater who competed internationally representing Germany in the 1990s.
- Franz Köhnel: a German-born American pianist, organist, and composer who was active in the early 20th century.
- August Köhnel: a German-born American sculptor and painter who worked mainly in ash, marble, and granite.
- Rachel Köhnel: a Seychelles politician who served as the Minister of Education from 2008 to 2016.
- Kateřina Köhnelová: a Czech chemist and researcher in the field of nanoscale materials science.
- Gerhard Köhnel: a German general who served in World War II and later held several key positions within the East German military.
- Günther Köhnel: a German neurologist and professor who wrote several books on his specialty.
- Jürgen Köhnel: a German conductor, composer, and orchestra director who conducted several symphony orchestras in Europe.