Surname Kühnel - Meaning and Origin
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Kühnel: What does the surname Kühnel mean?
Kühnel is a German surname derived from the Old High German word “kuhnl,” meaning “bold” or “brave.” The suffix "el" indicates that the surname is a diminutive form of the adjective “kuhnl.” As a result, Kühnel literally translates to "brave little one," or more generally, "little brave man.”
The German surname Kühnel is derived from the Middle High German dialect used in former Saxony, the area that is now the Eastern part of Germany. Kühnel is a distinctive surname that most likely originated in this region and has been passed down through the generations.
The Kühnel surname may refer to a variety of individuals including a 16th-century Protestant theologian from Saxony, a 17th-century vice-rector of the University of Wittenberg, and a 19th-century chemist at the University of Tübingen.
Kühnel is also a common surname in Austria, suggesting a possible connection to German-speaking immigrants from the area. Though the surname may have been borne by people of different backgrounds, the Kühnel family name today still reflects the distinct history of the Saxon region from which it originated.
Order DNA origin analysisKühnel: Where does the name Kühnel come from?
The last name Kühnel is mainly found in German speaking countries today. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein all have populations with the Kühnel surname. In Germany it is especially spread out in the regions of Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Thuringia. The surname Kühnel is thought to come from the old German personal name "Kunalo," meaning "mighty man," which was mainly used in the areas of Bavaria and Thuringia.
The Kühnel family is believed to have originated in Bavaria where the first mention of the name comes from 1293. Through the centuries the Kühnel family spread across the German speaking countries, establishing several branches. In some areas, such as Lower Saxony, the name has nearly died out now as the family members moved away or stopped using the surname.
The specific spelling of Kühnel is still quite popular today and can be found in most of the German speaking countries as well as around parts of the world where German descendants have immigrated to such as in the United States, Canada, and South America.
This is illustrated by the fact that nearly 33,000 people today bear the surname Kühnel. With a majority of twelve thousand living in Germany, there are still substantial populations of the Kühnel surname in places such as Austria with roughly two thousand people and Switzerland with nearly six hundred people.
Overall, the last name Kühnel is still quite common today. It is mainly found in German speaking countries although some descendants have spread throughout the world.
Variations of the surname Kühnel
The surname Kühnel has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. In Germany and other European countries, the surname is mainly spelled as Kühnel, while in other parts of the world, it has been adapted to different languages and dialects.
The most common spellings of the name are Kuhnal, Kuhnle, Kuehnle, Kuehnl, and Kuehn. Other possible spellings include Kühn, Kühnle, Kühnel, Kühnelle, Kühanl, Kuehnel, and Kühnel.
In different countries, the surname also takes on other forms, such as Kuehnel in the United States, Kewnel in England, and Kiyinli in Turkey.
The related surnames of Kühnel also include Kuhn, Kühnemann, Kuehner and Kühner. Variants of this surname can also be seen in the forms of Künstler, Kuhlo, Kûhn, Kühnen, Kihn, Küle, Kühner, and Kühlen.
On some records, the spelling of this surname has been recorded as Künl, Kühnelle, Kühenel, Kühnemeier, Kühnert, Kühnle-Otto, Kühnert-Borchert, Kühnlen, Kühneman, Kühnemann, or similar. In some cases, the surname has been known to drop the “ü”, resulting in Kuehnle, Kuehnl, Kuehnel, or Kuhnl. In recent years, many people with the surname have opted to use the spelling of Kuhnel to make it easier for others to pronounce.
Famous people with the name Kühnel
- Leon Kühnel: German actor
- Karl Kühnel: German educationalist and scholar
- Elias Kühnel: German diplomat
- Johann Jakob Kühnel: German physician
- August Kühnel: German chemist
- Fred Kühnel: German cable car entrepreneur
- Johannes Kühnel: German etcher
- Johann Friedrich Kühnel: German musicologist
- Hans Kühnel: German actor
- Wilhelm Kühnel: German forester and scientist
- Erhard Kühnel: German painter
- Oscar Kühnel: German field officer
- Wilhelmine Kühnel: German mathematician
- Hermann Kühnel: German botanist
- Heinz Kühnel: German actor
- Friedhelm Kühnel: German publicist
- Hans Emil Kühnel: German mineralogist
- Arnold Kühnel: German neo-expressionist painter
- Irene Kühnel: German opera singer
- Rodney Kühnel: American film producer