Surname Zöllner - Meaning and Origin
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Unlocking the Secrets of the Zöllner Surname Through iGENEA DNA Test
Diving into their family history through an iGENEA DNA Test, this individual discovered intriguing facts about their surname Zöllner, making valuable connections with distant relatives across the globe.
A. Zöllner
read moreZöllner: What does the surname Zöllner mean?
The last name Zöllner is a German surname meaning “customs collector”. It is derived from the German word Zöllner, which is composed of the words zoll (customs) and nemen (take). During the middle ages, the Zöllner family were the collectors of customs duties and taxes, either working for feudal lords or holding offices in the towns and cities of Germany.
The name itself can be found throughout the country in many variations such as Zöller, Zöllerin, Zöllnerin, Zollern, Zollermann, Zehler, Zehlner, Sehlner, and Seilner. In addition to being found in Germany, it is also present in Austria, Switzerland, and other countries where German surnames were adopted.
Today, the Zöllner family is now a well established family in Germany, providing a unique insight into the traditions and history of the region. Their surname is a shining example of how a family and name can be integral to a region’s identity and growth.
Order DNA origin analysisZöllner: Where does the name Zöllner come from?
The surname Zöllner is most commonly found in Germany and Austria today. It is a German occupational name derived from the word "Zöllner", meaning customs-man or tax-collector. It can also be found elsewhere, with smaller occurrences of the name in the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States.
In Germany, Zöllner is most common in the state of Bavaria, but also appears in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia, and Saxony. The name was first documented around the year 1282 in the German town of Mainburg in Bavaria.
In Austria, the name Zöllner is most commonly found in the provinces of Styria and Lower Austria, and has been documented there since at least the 1700s. It is also found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the former having received large influxes of German immigrants during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Further afield, there are also small occurrences of the last name in other countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and the United States. In the United States, many of those with the surname arrived in the 19th and early 20th centuries through immigration from Europe, and often included German Jews escaping Nazi persecution in the 1930s.
Overall, the last name Zöllner is most common today in Germany and Austria, but can also be found in other countries around the world with German-speaking communities.
Variations of the surname Zöllner
The surname Zöllner, or its variants, are of German and Slavic origin, and is a variant of the surname Zeller. There are many variations and spellings of this common surname, all of which are derived from the same source 'Zöllner'.
In Germany, the most common spelling is Zöllner, however some variations include Zöller, Zoellner, Zöller, and Zöll. This surname is derived from the Middle-High German word ‘zellun’, which refers to the job of collecting and transmitting taxes. This job would have been done by members of the Zöllner family which is why it became associated with their surname.
In Slavic countries, the most common spelling is Zeller, however they also have variants including Zellerov, Zellersky, Zellerski, Zeller serving as both a surname and a given name. The Slavic Zeller is derived from the same root as the German Zöllner, most likely being adopted after the expansion of German culture in the area.
In the United States, the most common spelling of the surname is Zeller, and variants include Zeller, Sellers, Sellars, Seller, Steele, Steel, Steen, Seiler, Zillner, Zillner, Zill, and Zila. This variant is likely to have been adopted from German immigrants who came to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Overall, the surname Zöllner is a common German, Slavic, and American surname, with many variants all derived from the same root. Regardless of its various spellings, this surname is linked to the job of collecting taxes, with its various forms representing the long history of the family.
Famous people with the name Zöllner
- Johann Zöllner: German astrophysicist and natural philosopher
- Felix Zöllner: German art historian and connoisseur
- Johannes Zöllner: 19th century German army officer and aviation pioneer
- Friedrich Zöllner: 19th century German philosopher and educator
- Franz Zöllner: German chemist and inventor
- Carl Zöllner: German classical philologist
- Wilhelm Zöllner: German painter
- Wolfgang Zöllner: German businessman and former corporate communications director
- Michael Zöllner: German physicist and entrepreneur
- Birgitta Zöllner: Swedish former Olympic ice hockey player
- Alfred Zöllner: German lawyer and former politician
- Lasse Zöllner: Danish football coach and former player
- Shantel Zöllner: American equestrian eventer
- Martha Zöllner: German novelist
- Christian Zöllner: German musicologist and choral conductor