Surname Zehnpfennig - Meaning and Origin
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Zehnpfennig: What does the surname Zehnpfennig mean?
The last name Zehnpfennig is derived from German origin and is believed to be an occupational surname. The literal translation of the name Zehnpfennig is ‘ten pfennig’ and it is thought to refer to a person who is a maker or seller of coins or who may have provided some other service involving the use of coins.
The term pfennig was used in Germany between around 800-1800 and refers to a silver or other metal coin, usually made from a combination of valuable metals. A single pfennig would have once been worth a very small amount and it could have been used for everyday purchases, such as food or clothing. It is believed that the name Zehnpfennig comes from the occupation of a maker or seller of coins as it references the number of coins or coins of a certain value that they would have made or dealt with.
The name Zehnpfennig can also be seen as a gift surname, where the person who it was bestowed upon was able to give that last name in honour of their name givers skill and expertise as a dealer of coins or coins of a certain value. The name is a reminder to those who bear it of the skill, knowledge and craftmanship of their ancestor.
Order DNA origin analysisZehnpfennig: Where does the name Zehnpfennig come from?
The surname Zehnpfennig is most commonly associated with Europe's German-speaking region, primarily Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It is derived from the German expression “zehn Pfennig” meaning “ten Pfenning”, as Pfennig was an old German coin unit, with one Pfennig equaling one tenth of a Mark.
The earliest known mention of a Zehnpfennig surname is a 1504 record of correspondence between the legendary astronomer Johannes Kepler and his parents. Kepler had written a letter to his father Heinrich Zehnpfennig which contained the earliest documented use of the Zehnpfennig surname.
In modern times, the Zehnpfennig surname is prevalent throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as in other German-speaking countries such as Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. In the United States, families of German descent often carried the Zehnpfennig surname over from the European mainland. In Canada, the Zehnpfennig surname is also present, especially in Ontario and Alberta, due to numerous immigration waves from Germany and other German-speaking countries to the Great White North.
The Zehnpfennig surname is a symbol of the rich history of Germans and their descendants, and it can still be encountered in many parts of the world to this day.
Variations of the surname Zehnpfennig
The surname Zehnpfennig is derived from German and loosely translates to “10 pennies”. A variety of variants of this name can be seen, and can include Zimpfenig, Zimpfennig, Zimpfenning, and Zehnpfennig. Spellings may differ slightly from region to region, as well as the variation with the letter “f” or “ff” and “u's being replaced with an “o” due to regional accents and pronunciations. Other surnames derived from Zehnpfennig include Zimpfenig, Zimpfennig, Zimpfenning, Ziefenning, Zieffenning, Tiefenning, and Tilpening.
The surname is likely to have originated from lands in what is today Germany, particularly the western and south-western regions, including the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. Furthermore, due to migration, many surnames of this origin were spread to other parts of Germany and further afield to neighbouring parts of Europe such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
The surname was likely originally associated with the occupation of coin making, or bearers possessing large sums of coins, where a “Zehnpfennig” would have been of a significant value. As well as this, the name is likely to have been adopted as a surname by families whose origin lay in the areas where the coins were in circulation. It is also likely the name may have been used to distinguish wealthy families.
In modern times, as the usage of coins slowly phased out of circulation, the surname Zehnpfennig or any of its variants has likely stayed with certain families who had the name long before coins were replaced by currency.
Famous people with the name Zehnpfennig
- Uwe Zehnpfennig: German athlete who competed in the men’s lightweight coxless fours event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- Reinhard Zehnpfennig: World War II German Luftwaffe Ace with 37 victories.
- Maya Zehnpfennig: German actress and voice actress.
- Till Zehnpfennig: German badminton player, winner of European junior titles in 2012.
- Lutz Zehnpfennig: German television actor, most notable for his role as Georg Blumenberg in the long-running German television series Um Himmels Willen.
- Martin Zehnpfennig: German biathlete who participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics.
- Johannes Zehnpfennig: German alpine skier, participate in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Tanja Zehnpfennig: German slalom canoeist who won two medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with a silver in 2007 and a bronze in 2006.
- Timo Zehnpfennig: German poet and visual artist.
- Helmut Zehnpfennig: Former German footballer who played for SV Eintracht Trier 05 and Holstein Kiel.