Surname Füllgrabe - Meaning and Origin

Füllgrabe: What does the surname Füllgrabe mean?

The last name Füllgrabe is a German surname. It is a habitational name derived from the place Füllgrabe, a small hamlet situated in the western part of Thuringia, Germany. The name comes from the Old Germanic words "full" (meaning "nourishing"), and "grab" (meaning "trench, ditch, or pit"), indicating a place that provided pasture or nourishment to animals travelling along the old trails.

Historically, the Füllgrabe surname was a prominent aristocratic family from East Prussia and other parts of Thuringia who held titles of nobility. From the 12th century onwards, the family holdings were heavily involved in politics and economics in the region. The family generally had a good reputation for taking care of subjects and also for their charitable work, particularly in areas of poverty.

In the 20th century, members of the Füllgrabe family emigrated to the United States, and the surname is still commonly found in the US. Füllgrabe is also quite common in its native nation, Germany, and numerous individuals bearing the Füllgrabe name are still found in Germany, now in almost all the states of the country, from the North Sea down to Bavaria.

The name of Füllgrabe, therefore, stands as an ancient testament to the numerous accomplishments of a deserving family who have contributed significantly to their communities throughout the generations.

Füllgrabe: Where does the name Füllgrabe come from?

The last name Füllgrabe is most commonly found in Germany, but variations of the name have spread across Europe. Füllgrabe is an old German name, with the root words “Füll” meaning “full” and “grabe” meaning “grave”, so the name likely had an origin as a profession or identifier for someone that worked in a graveyard. People bearing the surname Füllgrabe can also be found in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and even Scandinavia.

The name has been adapted over time in different countries to variations such as Fillgrave, Fullgrave, Fullgraff, Pullgrave, Pulgrave, Fuellgraff, and Fuellgrabe, depending on the dialect of the region. In more recent times, the name is still common in Germany, particularly in the Northern and Central parts of the country. However, it is also popular in the other nearby countries, as well as Eastern European areas such as Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Although the Fullgraff and Füllgrabe spellings are more common in Europe, the Fillgrave and Fullgrave variants are the ones that have been used more consistently in the United States. It is particularly popular in the Midwest, where many German immigrants settled in the 18th and 19th centuries. The majority of the people who bear this surname in the United States today are descendants of the German immigrants who came from Europe.

Variations of the surname Füllgrabe

One of the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Füllgrabe is Fuellgrabe. This variant is typically used in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Baltics. In addition, the variant Fuehlgrabe is occasionally seen in records from these nations.

Fuellgrabe can also be found in the form of Füllgraben or Fuellgraben. This can be seen in records from places such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where German immigrants settled.

In some records, the surname Füllgrabe is seen in its shortened forms, such as Füll or Fuell. This can be seen in records from various countries, usually denoting the descendants of an immigrant with the surname Füllgrabe.

Various other variants derived from the surname Füllgrabe also exist. These may include Füllgraeber, Fuellgraeber, Füllgraeve, Fuellgraeve, Fülgraeber, Fuehlgraeber, Fülgraeve, and Fuehlgraeve.

Overall, the surname Füllgrabe can potentially be seen in a vast array of variants, spellings, and different surnames of the same origin. Each variant should be taken into consideration when researching family history and genealogy.

Famous people with the name Füllgrabe

• Jürgen Füllgrabe: Revered German neurologist, professor of neurology and head of the Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology at the Medical Faculty of the RWTH Aachen University.
• Gerd Füllgrabe: A German electrical engineer and professor at the University of Tubingen in Germany.
• Maria Füllgrabe: German figure skater who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
• Carl Füllgrabe: German Army officer in World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, a prestigious decoration bestowed by the Nazi regime of Germany.
• Peter Füllgrabe: German geographer and professor of regional planning at the University of Hamburg.
• Benjamin Füllgrabe: Professional ice hockey player and coach from Germany.
• Ursula Füllgrabe: German alpine skier and Olympic medalist at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
• Heinrich Füllgrabe: Roman Catholic priest and archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne from 1983 to 1998.
• Carl Friedrich Füllgrabe: German international football player who played for four clubs in the 1930s before retiring as a professional.
• Reinhard Füllgrabe: German track and field athlete who competed in the 1950s and 60s, and was the European Champion in the Decathlon in 1964 and European Indoor Champion in the pentathlon in 1965.

Other surnames

Füllgraf