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Surname Zellhorn - Meaning and Origin

all surnames with 'Z'

Zellhorn: What does the surname Zellhorn mean?

The German surname Zellhorn is derived from the city of Zelle in the Sauerland region of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The name itself is based on the Old High German word for cell (zella) which referred to a residency or rent-providing office in the city. As such, the surname Zellhorn literally translates to ‘from/of Zelle’.

Zellhorn is an occupational surname, indicative of those that performed the professional duty of renting out rooms or areas in the city. Many with the surname may have been landlords and innkeepers as residential renting and hospitality was a fairly common source of income within small towns during the time. Others with the name may have worked for the imperial or Ecclesiastical court or even served as stewards of the local nobility.

In addition to the professional connotations behind the surname, the family likely has some geographic ties to the city itself. Records indicate that one of the earliest to carry the name, Neithardus de Cella of Zellhorn, was a resident there as early as the 13th or 14th century and it’s likely that the family had been living in and around the area for an extended period of time before that.

Those surnamed Zellhorn are likely linked to a long and rich family history full of professional and geographic traditions.

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Zellhorn: Where does the name Zellhorn come from?

The last name Zellhorn is most commonly found in the United States and Germany. In the U.S., the majority of Zellhorn families can be found in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Germany has the greatest concentration of the name in the states of Bavaria and Brandenburg. In addition, smaller numbers of Zellhorn families are found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia.

In general, the name Zellhorn is thought to be an old German family name of Jewish origin. In Germany, the first recorded Zellhorn family settled in1731 in Wilhelmsdorf, located in the state of Bavaria. Outside of Germany, many Zellhorn families emigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s, primarily settling in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Many of these families were likely escaping persecution due to their religious beliefs.

Today, many descendants of the Zellhorn name still live in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as other parts of the United States. In addition, various Zellhorn families can be found in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Russia. With the advent of the internet, the Zellhorn family tree has been able to reach around Europe and the United States, allowing distant relatives across these countries to find each other and learn more about their heritage.

Variations of the surname Zellhorn

Zellhorn is an Ashkenazic surname, meaning “horn of the cell”. It is derived from the medieval Jewish name Zahalon, derived from the Hebrew word for "root". This name was most likely adopted by a Jewish family living in Germany during the early 1900s.

Variants and alternate spellings of Zellhorn include Zalhorn, Selhorn, Zelhorn, Tsellhorn, and Tsalhorn. There are also some variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin which differ slightly in spelling, such as Z

Famous people with the name Zellhorn

  • Richard Zellhorn, German theatre director
  • Danny Zellhorn, Martinican DJ
  • Ruth Zellhorn, Austrian journalist and leader of the workers' movement
  • Claire Zellhorn, Swiss olympic athlete
  • Keith Zellhorn, American actor
  • Robert Zellhorn, Australian artist
  • Katrin Zellhorn, German lawyer and former Member of the European Parliament
  • Manfred Zellhorn, Austrian director and screenwriter
  • George Zellhorn, American composer
  • Luis Zellhorn, Brazilian politician

Other surnames

ZellhoferZellhöfer

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