Surname Kegelmann - Meaning and Origin
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Kegelmann: What does the surname Kegelmann mean?
The last name Kegelmann is a German surname, originating from the Middle High German term “kegelman”. This word is derived from “kegel”, meaning a pin or peg, and the second element “mann”, which means man. This combination translates to “one who plays or works with a pin or peg”.
The name could refer to a variety of professional roles, such as a carpenter who works with pegs in his carpentry or an engineer who works with pins and pegs to build bridges or structures. It could also refer to the game of skittles, where pins or pegs arranged in a triangular shape are used to knock one another down.
The surname Kegelmann is first found in Central and North Germany. It spread to other German regions such as Baden, Bavaria, and the Palatinate. The name is still found in this region today.
The surname Kegelmann is often associated with other occupational names such as Becker, Kaufmann, Zimmermann, and Döring, and implies the family had roots in a trade or occupation.
In general, the surname Kegelmann indicates a person skilled in various crafts involving the use of pins or pegs. It can also be used to refer to someone who plays games of skittles, requiring both skill and judgment, and is a reminder of the family’s heritage in the trades or occupations of their ancestors.
Order DNA origin analysisKegelmann: Where does the name Kegelmann come from?
The last name Kegelmann is most common in Germany today. It is believed that the name originated in what is now the city of Munich and was first found within the city’s historic walls. It has since spread throughout Germany’s various regions. The name is most common in the state of Bavaria but is also found in other German states including Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Hesse.
The family coat of arms associated with the name displays a black raven with crooked wings in a blue background surrounded by silver fleurs-de-lis. The raven is a common symbol of the name, as some members of the family are believed to have been vintners.
Kegelmann is a relatively uncommon last name in the rest of the world, although some are found in the United States. In the United States, the name can be found in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois. In New York, it is most common among the German-American population who have roots in the Palatine region of Germany and other areas that were historically part of the German Confederation.
The Kegelmanns are a family with a rich history and multiple branches that can be traced back centuries. Today, the name is relatively rare outside of Germany but still holds strong ties to the country’s past and culture.
Variations of the surname Kegelmann
Kegelmann is one of the rare surnames of German origin that can trace its roots to early medieval times. Its variants include Kegelman, Keelmann, Keilman, Kailman, Keglemann, Kegleman, Kegelmen, Kegelmean, Kegelmanne and Kegelmanns.
The earliest records of the surname are found in the southern German regions of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland dating back to the 16th century. During this period, the spelling of the name varied throughout the region with variants being recorded in church registers.
The name Kegelmann is derived from the medieval German word “kegel” which means “eight sided pin”. It is thought to have first been used as a nickname for someone that was particularly good at playing skittles, a popular bowling game of the time. The suffix “-man” or “-mann”, meaning “man” or “person”, was later added to the name.
The palatine surname, Keelmann, is likely a derivative of Kegelmann. Records suggest that the Keelmann family were primarily based in Upper Palatinate in Bavaria dating back to the 1600s, although some families later immigrated to the United States and Canada. Kailman is an alternate spelling of the palatine surname, Keelmann.
In the 19th century, some members of the Kegelmann family began to use the more anglicized spelling Kegleman which is still used by some of their descendants today. There is also a distinct Dutch-German variant of the surname known as Kegelman which is believed to have first been used in the Netherlands, as well as the French-German spelling Kegelmanne.
The last two variants are both very rare, but those who carry the surnames today are likely either descendants of immigrants from Germany and the Netherlands who brought the name with them when immigrating, or are descended from those who adopted the variants during a period of increased anglicization.
Famous people with the name Kegelmann
- Aaron Kegelmann: Former professional hockey player, now retired and involved in various business ventures.
- Bernhard Kegelmann: Former Olympic rower and South German national champion.
- Carcelen Kegelmann: Venezuelan-born model and actress.
- Helga Kegelmann: East German sprint canoeist and 1973 world champion.
- Jakob Kegelmann: German film producer known for his work on “Tatort” and “The Westen”.
- Kai Kegelmann: German film composer and conductor.
- Markus Kegelmann: German film editor and winner of the Bavarian Film Prize for Best Editing.
- Peter Kegelmann: German landscape painter and sculptor.
- Sabine Kegelmann: German chess player and grandmaster since 2016.
- Veronika Kegelmann: German mathematician and professor at the Universität Bremen.