Surname Krabbenhoeft - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Krabbenhoeft: What does the surname Krabbenhoeft mean?
The last name Krabbenhoeft originated in Germany and is a combination of two separate words, ‘Krabbe’ and ‘Hoeft’. Krabbe is German for 'crab' and Hoeft translates to 'head' or 'forehead'. The combined meaning of Krabbenhoeft translates to someone with a forehead that resembled the hard shell of a crab.
Throughout history, names were often chosen to reflect individual physical traits or some other personal characteristic. It appears the last name Krabbenhoeft originated as a physical description most likely due to some ancestor having a prominent forehead, or simply to differentiate them from other families with similar names.
Krabbenhoeft remains a popular German surname to this day. As of 2020, there were over 3,000 families in Germany with the last name Krabbenhoeft, and over 1,600 people in the United States with this surname.
Regardless of its original reason, the name Krabbenhoeft is now a proud German tradition and the term is still in use today to describe an individual's forehead or a context that is related to it.
Order DNA origin analysisKrabbenhoeft: Where does the name Krabbenhoeft come from?
The last name Krabbenhoeft is common today mainly in Germany and the Low Countries, specifically in the Northern Netherlands and Lower Germany.
Krabbenhoeft is an occupational surname, where it began as the traditional name for a farrier (a person who shoes horses). In the old days, horseshoes and carts were essential on German farms and estates and their caretakers - the Krabbenhoefts - enjoyed a privileged position in society.
Today, the name is more widespread, often attached to smaller settlements in the north of the Netherlands, in Oldenburg and Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). It has also spread further afield, forming part of the German expatriate community in America, Australia and Canada.
As technology has changed, the name Krabbenhoeft is no longer related exclusively to farriers. Today, it’s just as likely to refer to people who operate businesses in or around farming, as well as people who work in the technology, education, finance and health sectors.
Examples of famous people with the Krabbenhoeft surname include German actor Rüdiger Krabbenhöft and Dutch-Brazilian engineer and businessman Guilherme Krabbenhoeft.
Variations of the surname Krabbenhoeft
The surname Krabbenhoeft can have many variations in terms of spelling and surnames of the same origin. Some of the common variants include Krabendhoft, Crabenhoft, Krabenhöft, Crabenhöft, Krabenhöfte, Crabenhöfte, Krabenhoefte, Crabenhoefte, Krappenhoeft, Krappenhöft, and Krappenhöfte.
The surname Krabbenhoeft is derived from two German words; krabben meaning to crab or grab and hoeft meaning court. The meaning of this surname was that someone belonging to the family tree was of courtly origins. It is quite common in the western region of Germany, especially in the Nordrhein-Westfalen area, and also in parts of East Germany/Bavaria and Austria.
When researching for more variants of Krabbenhoeft, two German surnames can be used as a base-point to understand where it has derived from. The first is Krappen, which has many of the same spelling variations as Krabbenhoeft, and the second is Hoefte, which is similar but does not have the 'krab' before it.
Krappen is an anglicised version of Krabben which means crab in German. This derives from the Old English 1400’s–1500’s spelling of Krab, which is thought of as a corruption of an even older word, crab. Hoefte is a Dutch word, derived from the Old French word hoef, which means court.
In conclusion, Krabbenhoeft is a German surname that is derived from two different words; krabben (to crab or grab) and hoeft (court). The most common variants are Krabendhoft, Crabenhoft, Krabenhöft, and Crabenhöft. Other variants of the same origin include Krappenhoeft, Krappenhöft, and Krappenhöfte, as well as Hoefte.
Famous people with the name Krabbenhoeft
- Christian Krabbenhoeft: Professional basketball player who is currently signed with the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig of the Basketball Bundesliga, the highest tier of professional basketball in Germany.
- Jens Krabbenhoeft: Professional soccer player of VfV Hildesheim, a German club.
- Joachim Krabbenhoeft: Professional volleyball player in Germany.
- Ricarda Krabbenhoeft: Professional golfer who has participated in multiple LPGA tour events.
- Lisa Krabbenhoeft: Professional tennis player from Germany.
- Helga Krabbenhoeft: Wife of Helmut Krabenhoft, President of the German Football Association from 1999 to 2004.
- Bernd Krabbenhoft: Professional soccer player from Germany.
- Michael Krabbenhoeft: Technology executive and founder of FACTUM GmbH, a German software company.
- Tobias Krabbenhoeft: Professional beach volleyball player from Germany.
- Helmut Krabbenhoeft: President of the German Football Association from 1999 to 2004.