Surname Pferdekaemper - Meaning and Origin
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Pferdekaemper: What does the surname Pferdekaemper mean?
The surname Pferdekaemper is a German occupational name, indicating an ancient profession of horse caretaker. This surname is composed of two German elements; Pferd, meaning horse, and kaemper, meaning guard. The English equivalent of this old profession could be a farrier.
The profession of farrier goes back to at least the 12th century, when it became a recognized art. It was the farrier's responsibility to trim a horse's hooves, fit shoes if deemed necessary, and to apply an array of treatments for common ailments of horses ‒ such as lameness, abscesses, thrush, and more.
The surname Pferdekaemper would most likely have been used to describe someone whose job was to take care of horses, or to carry out the duties of a farrier, in one's small village or region. Over time, this surname has diverged and spread to various parts of Europe.
Today, the surname Pferdekaemper is still in use and descendents of the original family may still be performing the same job. The name itself has become a surname used in many countries, including Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands, among others.
Order DNA origin analysisPferdekaemper: Where does the name Pferdekaemper come from?
The last name Pferdekaemper is most commonly found in Germany today. The name Pferdekaemper is of German origin, and it was derived from the old German words "pferd" and "kemper," which mean "horse" and "keeper" respectively. This likely suggests that the Pferdekaemper family were involved in horse-related occupations centuries ago.
In modern usage, however, it is impossible to determine the exact origin of the family surname. In Germany, people with the last name Pferdekaemper live across the country. According to Ancestry.com, the name Pferdekaemper is most common in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
There are also people who possess the last name Pferdekaemper in other parts of Europe, although in smaller numbers. In Eastern Europe, some people with the last name Pferdekaemper live in countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, while in Northern Europe, some people with the last name Pferdekaemper live in Denmark and Sweden.
In North America, fewer people with the last name Pferdekaemper live in the United States and Canada, although there are some pockets of people with this surname in those countries. The last name Pferdekaemper is also present in other parts of the world, such as South America and Australia.
Overall, the last name Pferdekaemper is relatively common in Germany, but it is found in smaller numbers in other parts of Europe, North America and other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Pferdekaemper
The surname Pferdekaemper originated in Germany, where it is still quite common. It is an occupational name derived from the Middle High German word "pferdekämper", which translates to “horse tamer”, “riding master” or “horse keeper”, and denoted someone who looked after horses. Alternative spellings for the surname include Pfertkaemper, Pferdkamper and Pferdkemper. Other variants with the same origin include Pferdteicher, Pferdscherer, Roßmeister, Pferdner, Pferdschmied, Pferdherr and Pferdwirt.
Surnames with closely related origins and spellings include Pferdman, Pferdmann, Pfreimd, Pfefferdaemper, Pfertdamer, Pferdmacher, Pferdsmith, Pfertmaker and Ferdmaker. All these surnames originate from the German words for different horse-related professions and roles.
In the United States, the surname Pferdekaemper is rare but variants such as Pferdschaefer, Pferdecker and Ferdeckers are found in Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking areas.
Famous people with the name Pferdekaemper
- Anja Pferdekaemper, German politician
- Gisela Pferdekaemper, German historian
- Julia Pferdekaemper, German psychologist
- Annalena Pferdekaemper, German discus thrower
- Bernhard Pferdekaemper, German politician
- Paul Pferdekaemper, German historian
- Jürgen Pferdekaemper, German footballer
- Tanja Pferdekaemper, German biathlete
- Hans-Jürgen Pferdekaemper, German chess master
- Annette Pferdekaemper, German tennis player