Surname Kappelhoff - Meaning and Origin

Kappelhoff: What does the surname Kappelhoff mean?

The last name Kappelhoff is a German name, which is derived from the German words 'Kapelle' which means chapel and 'Hoff', which means court, yard, or farm. Therefore, the literal translation of 'Kappelhoff' is 'Chapel Court'.

The name is believed to have originated in the medieval German towns of Squadia and Thuadra, which were located in the contemporary states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. According to genealogical records, many Kappelhoff families lived in these towns as early as the late 1700s.

During this time, churches and chapels played an important role in rural life, and many people adopted the name Kappelhoff to indicate that their family had a chapel on their land. It is thus likely that the name was taken on to distinguish given families from others in the same town, and to indicate their wealth and status.

Today, Kappelhoff is an uncommon name in Germany, but those who retain it can be sure that their family has a long history and connection to the land. It may even be possible to trace back to the original individuals who used the name to indicate the chapel on their lands and their wealth.

Kappelhoff: Where does the name Kappelhoff come from?

The last name Kappelhoff is most commonly found in Germany today. In fact, it is the 94th most popular surname in the country. It dates back to medieval times, and most likely originated near the Rhine River Valley in the southwest corner of the country.

Kappelhoff is a combination of two Middle High German words: "Kapelle," meaning chapel, and "Hof," meaning court or homestead. The name was adopted by locals who moved to the area in the 13th century, and is likely derived from the name of a small chapel located near this settlement.

When researching geographical locations of the Kappelhoff surname, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest concentration of people with the surname. This is mainly due to the strong presence of the Catholic and Protestant religious denominations in this particular region.

In the United States, the Kappelhoff surname is much less common. It can be found in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin, primarily in larger cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. There is a small cluster of individuals with this surname in California as well.

Today, the Kappelhoff name is primarily distinct to Germany and the United States. However, due to global immigration, there are pockets of individuals with this surname living all over the world.

Variations of the surname Kappelhoff

The surname Kappelhoff is an German name of many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some variants are: Koppelhoff, Kaplehoff, Kapplehoff, Kapeelhoff, Kappelhooff, Kappelof, Kappelhof, Kappelhoffe, Kappelhoffen, Kaploff and Kapelhof.

Surnames of the same origin also include English versions such as Kapple, Kaploff, Copelhoff, Copelhove and Copelhove.

The surname Kappelhoff can be broken down into two parts, "Kappel" meaning cap or a type of heavy hat and "Hoff" meaning court. So, the surname Kappelhoffs means "court-hat", "one who made court hats".

This name is similar to Kapps and Kopps, which stem from Kapplein and Kopplein, two diminutives of Kappe, meaning cap or hat. This suggests that the Kappelhoff surname may have started out as a version of "the hat maker".

The earliest use of the Kappelhoff surname appears to be in the German state of Hessen-Nassau, where it was first recorded in 1690.

The variants and spellings of the Kappelhoff surname can be traced back to the 17th century and most likely originated in North Germany. From there the surname spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe, in particular, countries such as Austria, Poland and Hungary. Kappelhoff is still found in German-speaking countries today, as well as in many English-speaking countries.

Famous people with the name Kappelhoff

• Doris Day: Born as Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, she was a popular American singer, actress, and animal welfare activist.
• Jerome Kappelhoff: A prominent Texas trial lawyer, he was the most experienced trial lawyer throughout his 31 years of practice.
• Johnny Kappelhoff: Johnny was a professional baseball player who played infield for ten seasons in the National League.
• Ken Kappelhoff: Ken is a writer, producer, and multimedia artist who worked in both the music and movie industries.
• Corry Kappelhoff: Corry is an artist, curator, and photographer who has contributed to many different areas of the art world.
• Katrina Kappelhoff: Katrina is a TV producer and director with 20 years of production experience with shows like MythBusters, Good Eats, and CSI.
• Jürgen Kappelhoff: Jürgen is a professional triathlete, coach, and endurance sports consultant from Germany.
• Kristina Kappelhoff: Kristina is an international film producer who has produced movies for major Hollywood studios.
• Ralph Kappelhoff: Ralph is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the California Angels and the Houston Astros.
• Jana Kappelhoff: Jana is a German field hockey player who played for the German team in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Other surnames

Kappelhoffer