Surname Koefod - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'K'
Koefod: What does the surname Koefod mean?
The last name Koefod is of English origin and is believed to be derived from an Anglo-Saxon name for a person who lived in or around a “cop”, which was a wooded area. The word “cop” comes from the Old English word “copor”, which means a deep hollow. The literal meaning of Koefod is “by the cop”.
The surname is an occupational name, indicating that the original bearer worked as a gatherer of forest products such as nuts and berries, or as a hunting guide, a pathfinder on difficult trails, or a keeper of horses in the cop. It may also refer to someone who lived near a cop.
In addition to being an English surname, Koefod is used in many parts of the world including Scotland, where it is usually spelled "Kieford" or "Kevord", Scandinavia and Germany. A variant spelling of the name is Köfod, which is seen in Sweden and Norway.
Koefod is also found in some German church records, where it is spelled "Keford" or "Kieffer". The name is believed to have been brought to various parts of the world by German immigrants.
The Koefod surname is still found in many parts of the world today, especially England and the United States. It is a relatively common surname in some areas. It is believed to derive ultimately from an Old English term describing a person who lived in or near the cop.
Order DNA origin analysisKoefod: Where does the name Koefod come from?
The surname Koefod is most commonly found in Norway. It is believed to have originated from the Old Norse name Kjufostr, which is made up of two elements – Kjuf, which means ‘barrel’, and Austr, meaning ‘eastern’. The surname is common in Norway today, with more than 1,000 people having the surname, mostly living on the southwest coast of the country.
The name is also found in other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, where it's believed to have been carried to by Norwegian immigrants. It's not as common in these countries, though, with fewer than 100 people having the surname.
Outside of Scandinavia, the surname is extremely rare, with only a few families bearing the name found in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This could be due to the fact that it's simply not a common surname in English-speaking countries.
The surname is also uncommon in Germany, with fewer than 10 people having the surname, mostly residing around Berlin. It is also believed to have been carried to Germany by Norwegian immigrants.
No matter where the surname is found, it has been around for centuries, with records of its existence in Norway going back as far as the 13th century. It is likely to remain a common surname in Norway for many years to come.
Variations of the surname Koefod
The surname Koefod has two different variants, spellings and surnames that originate from the same source. The first variant of the surname is Kofod or Kofoed, and the second is Koefoed. Both surnames are derived from a Nordic personal name, consisting of either "Kofi," a pet form of Old Norse kófi, meaning "hesta-fod" or a "horse treader," or "Kofi," a diminutive of Old Norse kofr, meaning "bag".
Kofod or Kofoed is the most common spelling of this surname in Scandinavia, Denmark in particular, while Koefoed is more popular in western Scandinavia, primarily Norway. The surname also appears in a variety of other spellings, such as Koffoed, Kofood, Koffood, Koffut, Kufut, Koffutt and Koufod.
In the United States and Canada, the surname is often seen as Koefoed, with the additional variants Koffoed and Kofoed, and less commonly as Koefod. In New Zealand, the surname is usually seen as Koefoed, although it can also be spelled as Kofoed or Kofod.
Since the ancestor of this surname may have been of Norse origin, it is possible that the surname is derived from the Old Norse and Viking names Kofi or Kofr. This name means "horse treader" or "bag carrier", respectively, and may have been a nickname for ascendants of the original Koefod family.
Famous people with the name Koefod
- Per Christian Koefod (Norwegian politician)
- Annette Koefod (Norwegian artist)
- Lars Koefod (Norwegian philosopher and researcher)
- Egil Koefod (Norwegian architect and artist)
- Therese Koefod (Norwegian poet)
- Diana Koefod (Commissioner for Children and Equality in Norway)
- Odd Koefod (Norwegian Crazy Horse singer)
- Maiken Koefod (Norwegian professional ski jumper)
- Joachim Koefod (Norwegian-American businessman)
- Carl Magnus Koefod (Norway's former Minister of Finance)