Surname Künholz - Meaning and Origin
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Künholz: What does the surname Künholz mean?
The last name Künholz is derived from Middle High German and can be translated to mean "Küni's wood". It is thought to be a locational surname that refers to a person from a place where there was a large wood. The wood may have been owned by a person called Küni or it may have been a communal wood where the people of the village had rights.
The name probably began to be used as a surname during the Middle Ages, when people began to take on the names of their family's or village's geographic features. This was especially true in regions where a rigid class structure with hereditary surnames became prevalent.
Künholz is a fairly uncommon name. It is most commonly found in Germany, notably in the two Bavarian municipalities in the district of Erding. In the United States, the name also appears to be relatively rare, with a handful of people with this surname recorded in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, and New York.
The name Künholz is derived from the German words "Küni" and "holz" and translates to "Küni's wood". It's a locational surname which likely referred to a place where there was a large wood or forest. It is most commonly found in Germany and the United States, the latter having a few scattered records in several states.
Order DNA origin analysisKünholz: Where does the name Künholz come from?
The last name Künholz is originally a German name and the German-speaking region is where it is most commonly found today. This region includes Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein as well as parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Outside the German-speaking region, Künholz is also found in areas with German-speaking immigrants such as in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It is also found in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, as well as in parts of Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.
In terms of numerical spread, the last name Künholz is most common in Germany, where it is estimated that there are over 5,000 individuals bearing the name. It is also fairly common in Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. Other countries with a large number of Künholz include the Netherlands and Belgium, which have around 1,000 people with the last name each.
In addition to common names, Künholz can be found in other forms such as Kunholtz, Kunholz, Kunolz, Kunehlz, and Künhelz. These spellings may be more common in countries with a large population of Germanic immigrants, such as the United States.
Overall, the last name Künholz is most commonly found in the German-speaking region, but it is also spread around the world in areas with Germanic immigrants. Different spellings of the name can be found in various locations.
Variations of the surname Künholz
The surname Künholz has various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include Kunholz, Koenholz, Konholz, Konholtz, Kounholz, Koenhooz, Koemholz, Künhölz and Kounhölz. The surname is derived from the German word “Kühn” meaning 'bold' or 'vigorous.' It is also derived from the Old German word “hultz” meaning 'forest.'
Künholz is a habitational name, deriving from any number of like-named locations in Germany, especially in Westphalia, Bavaria, and Hesse. It began as a topographic name for a person who lived in a coniferous woodland, or someone from the village of Künholz or Könholz. Variants of the name also are found in other countries, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, and Hungary.
The Künholz surname is most commonly found in the German-speaking areas of Europe. It is also found in the United States, Canada, and countries of Central and South America populated by descendants of German immigrants. Spelling variations of Künholz include Koenholz, Konholz, Konholtz, Kounholz, Koenhooz, Koemholz, Künhölz and Kounhölz.
Early examples of the surname include records of one Rudolf d'Kuhlholtz living in Groβbritannien in 1333; one Konrad Kunholz who resided in Velburg in 1510; one Michael Conholtz living in Donauworth in 1612; and Fredericus conholtz in Kupferberg, Bavaria in 1621.
Other variants of Künholz are likely to have existed, although not necessarily having been a direct cognate. They could have been adopted in other forms due to changing dialects, languages, and cultural norms.
Famous people with the name Künholz
- Edward Künholz: An American artist best known for his Late-Modernist works of assemblage which often featured political and social satire.
- Reimo Künholz: An Estonian stage and film actor, Best Actor nominee in 2019 for his role in the film "Truth and Justice".
- Sasha Künholz: An American singer-songwriter, folk and blues musician.
- Mihkel Künholz: An Estonian playwright, director, film producer and actor.
- Kiki Künholz: A German actress and screenwriter, best known for her roles in the films Morgenrot and Das Lachen der Gretchen.
- Benjamin Künholz: A German composer, arranger and producer.
- Mart Künholz: An Estonian composer and artist, well known for his compositions and music produced for film and TV.
- Tobias Künholz: A German poet, librettist and lyricist, best known for creating works like Die Kreuzigung and Wasserwunder.
- Albrecht Künholz: A German architect and urban planner, best known for his work in developing modernist cities.
- Erwin Künholz: An Austrian composer, best known for his Lieder and chamber music works.