Surname Kreideweiß - Meaning and Origin

Kreideweiß: What does the surname Kreideweiß mean?

The last name Kreideweiß is of German origin and derives from the Middle High German word ‘Kreide’. It is thought to have originated as an occupational name for a person who harvested chalk and made whitewash from it, or who sold chalk and whitewash for use in painting walls and furniture. In modern German, the word ‘Kreideweiß’ directly translates to ‘chalk white’.

The use of last names in the German-speaking world dates back to the 12th century. Initially, it was common to use the father’s given name as an identifier for a family, however, because of the increasing population, it became necessary to come up with additional ways to distinguish one individual from another. Often these names were based on occupation, physical characteristics, personality traits, places of origin, or ancestral clan names, such as Kreideweiß.

The name Kreideweiß is still very common in Germany today, as a result of a law passed in 1876 which mandated that all citizens take on a legal surname. According to statistics published by the German federal office of statistics in 2016, the name is still quite popular, making it to the top 400 most common surnames for the German population.

Overall, the name Kreideweiß is thought to have originally meant a person who sold or harvested chalk and white wash. Today, the name is a common surname in Germany, with hundreds of thousands of holders bearing the name.

Kreideweiß: Where does the name Kreideweiß come from?

The surname Kreideweiß is a very uncommon German word which is believed to have originated in Germany hundreds of years ago. The name was used to describe people who had white or pale skin and, as a result, found their way into many German-speaking parts of Europe.

Today, the Kreideweiß surname is still found mostly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with records showing it enters areas of Germany as early as the 13th century.

While it is far from the most common of Germanic surnames, the surname Kreideweiß can also be found in some other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, and more recently, South America, due to immigration.

The rarer derivatives of the name Kreideweiß can also be seen in Germany, such as Kreideweisser, Kreideweiser, and Kreueweiss. These variations are likely a result of poor spelling by the many Germanic cultures that adopted the name over the years.

While its usage has diminished, the surname Kreideweiß is still found in Europe and is still recognisable as a distinct Germanic name. It is a reminder of the role that Germany and other German-speaking countries played in the formation of Europe’s many nations, cultures, and people.

Variations of the surname Kreideweiß

The surname Kreideweiß is a German name translated as “white chalk”. It is a rare surname but can be found in both Germany and Austria. Variant and alternative spellings of this surname include Kriedweiss, Kreide Weiß, Kriedáweiss, Kreide Weiss, Kriedeweiß, Kriedweisse, Kreideweiss, Kreidáweiss, Kreideweiss, Kriedáweisse, Kreideweisse, Kreide Weiße, Kriede Weiß, Kriedweiße, and Kreidá Weiß.

In terms of variant surnames of the same origin, the most common variants are Kreideweißer (“Kreideweiß” plus the suffix “er”), Kreideweissen (“Kreideweiß” plus the suffix “en”), and Kreideweisser (“Kreideweißer” plus the suffix “er”). Other variants include Kreideweiser, Kreidewieser, Kreidweiser, Kreidwieser, Kreidweißer, Kriedweisser, Kreidweißen, Kriedweissen, Kreidweisser, and Kriedweisser.

The name is especially common in the Bavarian regions of Germany. In some cases, it is used interchangeably with the surnames Kreide and Weiß. For example, in Germany’s Saarland region, this surname is found as Kreide-Weiß, and the surname Kreide is sometimes combined with the surname Weiß to form Kreid-Weiß.

In Austria, Kreideweißer is the most common variant. Other variants include Kreide-Weißer, Kreidweiser, Kreidwieser, and Kreidweißer.

In general, the spelling of Kreideweiß in variants can vary due to dialects or regional preferences, but all variants of the surname are believed to have the same origin.

Famous people with the name Kreideweiß

• Dirk Kreideweiß: German former footballer who represented clubs such as Karlsruher SC, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, FSV Frankfurt and SV Meppen in his career.
• Leon Kreideweiß: Former German Paralympic sprinter and long jumper, Leon is known for his participation in the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona where he won a gold in the men’s 100 metres T34 event.
• Constantin Kreideweiß: German field hockey player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and represented his country in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
• Lina Kreideweiß: Former Olympic swimmer from Germany who participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
• Manfred Kreideweiß: German bobsledder who has been a part of two Olympic bobsleigh teams and has won both the European championships and World Championship in bobsleigh.
• Eric Kreideweiß: Swiss cyclist who won the Swiss road race championship in 2010 and 2013.
• John Kreideweiß: Gattinger professor of Contemporary Art History at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Also an art collector and enthusiast who has written several books on the history of art and its influence around the world.
• Jennifer Kreideweiß: German TV actress who is known for her roles in the TV series 'Die Melliewells'
• Martin Kreideweiß: German alpine skier who participated in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, as well as several European and World Championship skiing events.
• Ole Kreideweiß: German handball player who has appeared in the European and World Championships as part of the German national team and has played professionally for several German and European clubs during his career.

Other surnames

Kreideweis