Surname Klinkfuss - Meaning and Origin
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Klinkfuss: What does the surname Klinkfuss mean?
The last name Klinkfuss is of German origin and can be translated to mean “clinking foot”. It likely originated from an occupational surname which references a “clicker” or “tapper”, an instrument used to measure grain in olden times. This was an occupation of the Middle Ages in German-speaking regions that involved a person counting and measuring grain and other items by tapping and clicking the objects with a special stick.
The name may have then applied to a person or family with this job. As such, the name could be interpreted to mean a person whose foot creates a tapping, clinking sound either while they are walking or while they are working.
Klinkfuss is not an extremely common surname. It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 people living in the United States have the name. In Europe, the surname is more prevalent, especially in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The highest concentrations of the name are in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany.
Klinkfuss is a unique name full of history that is linked to a specific occupation of the Middle Ages. It's a great reminder of the importance of the jobs of the past, and the people who carried them out.
Order DNA origin analysisKlinkfuss: Where does the name Klinkfuss come from?
The last name Klinkfuss is present mostly in Germany, with some people having it in the United States as well.
Klinkfuss is an occupational name, derived from the Middle German language, meaning “smith” or “metalworker”. It is speculated that this surname began with an individual who worked in one of those professions. After time, the surname was passed down to the next generation and so on.
In Germany, the Klinkfuss surname is most prevalently found in the southeastern parts of the country. It is among the top 500 surnames in both Brandenburg and Thuringia, the two states located east of Saxony and north of Bavaria. According to name distribution in German history, Klinkfuss seems to have been especially prevalent in this region at some point in the past.
In the United States, the Klinkfuss surname is less common, but still in circulation. After World War II, a lot of families with the surname moved to the United States. Data from the 2010 United States Census found that the surname of Klinkfuss was found in 1,353 households in the fifty states. As these individuals settled in their new home, they kept their last name, which is why some people in the United States still bear it today.
Overall, the Klinkfuss surname is most common in Germany, with some residents in the United States also having this last name.
Variations of the surname Klinkfuss
Klinkfuss is a surname of German origin. It is a variant name or spelling of another German surname, Klünfuss and Klinkpfus. It can also be spelled as Klinkfuß, Klinkfuße, Klinkfues, Klinkfueß, Klinkfueße and Klinkfuss. Other variants of this surname include Klinksiefen, Klinckepfus, Klinkfeuß, Klinkfeuße, Klinkfitz and Klinkfeus.
Surnames that share the same origin as Klinkfuss include Klingfuss, Klinkhöfener, Klickpfütze, Klinkenbusch, Klinkenfuss, Klinkert, Klinkmann and Klümpenbusch.
The Klinkfuss surname originates from a person with the name ending in -klinksfus or -klinksvus, which referred to a stream with an abundance of welcoming corruption. The stream was likely located in the Lower Rhineland near the region of Rhineland-Palatinate. Early records of the surname date back to 1309 and can be seen in the historic documents of a Johannes Klinkfuss in a document known as 'Codex Friderico-Augustanus.'
Due to the variety of spellings of the Klinkfuss surname, it can be difficult to trace one’s ancestry or family line. If looking for information regarding the Klinkfuss surname, researching other variants and spellings can be an effective way of uncovering relevant information.
Famous people with the name Klinkfuss
- Hans Klinkfuss (14th-century German sculptor)
- Rudolf Klinkfuss (19th-century German lawyer)
- Robert Klinkfuss (American After Effects artist)
- Lucinda Klinkfuss (American artist and photographer)
- Christian Klinkfuss (German amateur soccer player)
- Max Klinkfuss (modern German sculptor)
- Louis Klinkfuss (early 20th-century German landscape painter)
- Theo Klinkfuss (German trade unionist)
- Laurence Klinkfuss (French League of Nations diplomat)
- Sabine Klinkfuss (German puppet maker and special effects supervisor)