Surname Pehm - Meaning and Origin
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Pehm: What does the surname Pehm mean?
The surname Pehm is believed to be of Germanic origin and was first given to someone living near an ash tree or a regional area called Pehm, which comes from the German word ‘pahm’ or ‘peer’ meaning ash. The surname was likely used by people who lived near an individual ash tree or near a regional area called Pehm.
The name Pehm may have also originated from Middle High German which evolved from the Old High German word ‘pfalme’. This may refer to someone who lived near a hill or a stream called Pfeifer, which comes from the Old German word ‘pfaffen’ meaning hill or stream, or may have referred to someone who was an inhabitant of the highlands, from the word ‘pfaltzen’ meaning highland.
The earliest recorded reference to anyone with the Pehm surname appears to be in 1625 in Poland. Other variants include Pfehm, Pfuhm, Pfahm, Paum, Paohm and Paone.
It is believed that the last name Pehm is most commonly found in Bavaria, Germany today. Given its presumed Germanic origin, the Pehm surname is probably associated with the Roman Catholic religion and the Christian Pentecostal movement.
The Pehm surname may also denote a specific profession, as the name may have been taken by someone who was a miller or pferd, a German term that refers to one who works with horses. Finally, the name can also refer to a specific geographical area, such as a region called Pehm in Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisPehm: Where does the name Pehm come from?
The last name Pehm can be found throughout several countries in the world today. In Europe for instance, the name is found mostly in Germany in the regions of Westphalia, Thuringia, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Hesse, and Saxony. In terms of other countries, Pehm is also common in Estonia and Finland. This is due to its Germanic and Nordic roots.
Aside from Europe, people with the last name Pehm are also often found throughout the United States. Hundreds of families have ventured from Germany to America over the past two centuries. Today, it is estimated that there are thousands of Pehms living throughout the US, many of whom migrated to the nation as far back as the 1800s. They are commonly found in New York, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
In addition to the US and Europe, the Pehm name can also be found throughout Argentina. More and more people are making the journey from Germany to this country, and many of them are bearing the last name Pehm. As with other countries, the name is found in much of the South American country, but primarily in Buenos Aires.
Overall, the last name Pehm can be found in numerous countries throughout the world, especially those with Germanic and Nordic roots. In addition to Europe and the US, it is now increasingly common in places like Argentina, thanks to its growing immigrant population.
Variations of the surname Pehm
The surname Pehm is most likely of Germanic origin and has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include Peham, Peerman, Pehmann, Paehmann, and Pihm.
Pehm is likely derived from the Germanic language in which it means ‘pear tree’. The earliest known spelling of the surname was Peham in a record from 1399 in Germany, and was likely carried by a person who was associated with trees, such as a farmer or woodworker.
The variants and spellings of the same root surname can also be found in various regions across the world, including Austria, Switzerland, and North America. For instance, The variant spelling of Paehmann can be found in Saxony, the variant spelling of Peerman in Austria, and Pihm in the United States and Canada.
In addition, it is important to note that Pehm can also be considered an Anglicized version of several other surnames. For example, many immigrants who arrived in the United States who had the Germanic surnames Pfähmann, Pfähman, or Pferguson used the Pehm version due to the fact that many of those names were difficult to make accurately and efficiently through English-language channels.
Therefore, while the surname Pehm may seem unique, it is actually derived from several Germanic elements and even interacts with other surnames from various regions of the world.
Famous people with the name Pehm
- Helena Pehm: Finnish athlete who competed in the long jump and 100 m sprint during the early twentieth century.
- Erkki Pehm: one of Finland’s foremost researchers in special education and disabilities.
- Helge Pehm: a Finnish businessman and former CEO of Stora Enso, a pulp and paper company.
- Tarmo Pehm: one of Finland’s most renowned medical researchers, who made a name for himself in the field of public health.
- Heikki Pehm: a former Finnish soccer player. He held the Finnish record for most appearances in international matches until 2012.
- Mari Pehm: a former Olympic ice hockey player for Finland.
- Steffen Pehm: German footballer who was a member of the German national team that won the 1980 European Championship.
- Markus Pehm: Austrian composer and musician.
- Peter Pehm: Austrian psychologist and former president of the Austrian Psychological Society.
- Jari Pehm: Finnish actor and film director.