Surname Kunzl - Meaning and Origin
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Kunzl: What does the surname Kunzl mean?
Kunzl is a German surname of noble origin. The earliest recorded use of the surname dates back to the 14th century, when the Kunzl family was associated with the nobility of the region known as Silesia in what is now the Czech Republic. The name Kunzl is derived from the German Kunz, meaning ‘counsel’ or ‘advisor’. As such, Kunzl was likely originally an occupational name given to someone who served as an adviser to the local nobility.
Throughout the course of the centuries, members of the Kunzl family have become prominent members of their local communities. The Kunzls have held various professional positions in the economic, legal and political spheres. Throughout the 19th century, the Kunzl family was one of the most influential families in Silesia.
Today, the Kunzl name is still prevalent across Europe, especially in Germany and Austria. It is also still a popular name in the United States, where it is estimated that tens of thousands of people bear the Kunzl surname.
Overall, the Kunzl surname has a long and distinguished history and is a respected family name in its native Germany and abroad. The word Kunz is very deep rooted in Germanic language and shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
Order DNA origin analysisKunzl: Where does the name Kunzl come from?
The last name Kunzl is most common in the Czech Republic today, where it ranks at number 236 in terms of its frequency in the population. In other parts of Europe it is less common, ranking 281st in Austria and 355th in Germany. The surname in Slavic countries like Slovakia and Poland is Kunz, with the -l suffix added in the Czech Republic.
Kunzl is thought to have originated in the medieval Bohemian and Moravian regions of the Czech Republic, and the name is thought to come from the Czech word ‘konciti’, which means ‘to end’ or ‘to finish’. Consequently, it is thought to have been a nickname for someone who completed a work of art, a job or a task, or for someone who had a tendency to finish what they started.
The surname is also found in the United States, where its frequency is much lower, ranking at 3,792 with only a handful of Kunzls around the country. It’s possible that many of the early Kunzls who immigrated to the US came from the Czech Republic, and due to its low frequency in the population, there has been no significant growth of the surname in the US.
Variations of the surname Kunzl
Kunzl is a common surname found in many countries of the world. The different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin are:
Kunzig, Kunzli, Kuntz, Kuntzle, Konze, Künzle, Kunce, Kunse, Kunzel, Kuntzel, Kuntze, Kuntzen, Kuntzer, Kunitz, Kunzec, Kuntzelman, Kuntzmann, Kunzman, Kuntzes, Kuntsler, Koncer, Kuntysl, Kontsel, Kunzmann, Kontsr, Küntzl, Köntzle, Kontzler, Kunzer, Kuntzmann, Kontz and Küntscher.
Variants of Kunzl, are derived from the German 'Kunze', meaning 'corner.' Over time, this surname has spread across many countries and has been adapted to the local languages of those regions. It is possible that the pronunciation of the surname has also changed over time, leading to different spellings and meanings.
In some countries, the name has been anglicized as Kunz or Kuntz. This is particularly common in America, where the name has been used since the 19th century, having been brought by German immigrants.
Generally speaking, all these variants derive from the same root and have the same origin. Therefore, while the spellings may differ, they all refer to the same surname.
Famous people with the name Kunzl
- Brigitte Kunzl-Snodgrass, a German painter and art educator
- Christian Kunzl, a Swiss lluger
- Ewald Kunzl, a German historian
- Jakub Kunzl, a Czech Olympic figure skater
- Johann Kunzl, a Czech professional ice hockey player
- Johann Karl Kunzl, an Austrian physiologist
- Jonathan Kunzl, an American musician
- Karl Kunzl, a German art photographer
- Leonard Kunzl, an American actor, singer, and writer
- Siegfried Kunzl, a German architect and urban planner.