Surname Gueldener - Meaning and Origin

Gueldener: What does the surname Gueldener mean?

The last name Gueldener is of German origin, originally spelled Güldener and derived from the Middle High German ‘gulden’ which means ‘golden’. It is a descriptive name that denotes someone of a golden-haired, blonde-haired, or fair-haired complexion.

The surname was likely used as a nickname for a person who was very fair, or has golden colored hair. It can be assumed that the original bearer of the name had light or fair characteristics or a certain association with gold. The name can also be interpreted to wish for the person to be as valuable as gold, suggesting that the bearer was esteemed or highly sought-after by his peers.

The name Gueldener is found in records of German nobility, suggesting the surname originated within the nobility of Germanic lands. It is also found in records of German emigrants who sailed to distant lands, including the United States, during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today, the surname Gueldener is spread across the world, and its original meaning, of a fair-haired or golden-haired individual, continues to find relevance as a surname for the descendants of the original bearers.

Gueldener: Where does the name Gueldener come from?

The last name Gueldener is most commonly found in the Netherlands. It is a Germanic surname which originated from the upper German region of Franconia, located in the south of what is now Bavaria. It’s believed that the earliest record of the Gueldener name was in 13th century Franconia and is derived from the Germanic first name ‘Gualda’, meaning ‘golden’.

The Gueldener name is still common in the Netherlands today, where it is largely concentrated in the southern provinces of Limburg, Gelderland and North Brabant. It can also be found in small numbers throughout the rest of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Outside of the European continent, the Gueldener name can occasionally be found in South African, Brazilian and Argentinian records. These individuals likely trace their ancestry back to German immigrants who left during the 19th century.

The Gueldener name today is of course largely linked to the Netherlands, where is a significant presence. Yet due to its origin and its wider distribution throughout Europe, it is likely that many individuals of different nationalities can trace their ancestry back to individuals bearing this surname during the Middle Ages.

Variations of the surname Gueldener

Gueldener is a rare surname of German origin, with other variants and spellings such as Gueldner, Geldner, Geldener, Gaeldner, Gaeldener, and Gaalder. It is derived from the Middle High German word "guelden" which means "golden". It was likely first used as a nickname for someone with golden hair, or to denote a person of significant wealth. It is also possible that the name originated as a location name for someone from Gülden, a town in Bavaria, Germany.

The surname is most commonly found in Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and may also be found in Switzerland and parts of Poland. Gueldener families may have emigrated to other countries from the 17th century onwards, particularly to the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.

As for the spelling variations, Guelden has often been changed to Gueldner or Gueldener, in America to Geldner and Geldener, and in Austria and Hungary to Gaeldner or Gaeldener. It can also be found spelled Gaalder, though this is much less common.

Though the surname is quite rare, it is believed that there are still quite a few Gueldener descendants living in Europe and America today.

Famous people with the name Gueldener

• Ludwig Gueldener (1810-1892): An Austrian lawyer, civil servant, and statesman who served as the interior minister and foreign minister for the Empire of Austria between 1848 and 1861.
• Max Gueldener (1861-1934): A German zoologist and biologist who studied the anatomy and morphology of Protista.
• Karl Gueldener (1856-1929): A German chemist and physicist whose works included research on rare elements and the properties of combustion and nitrous oxide.
• Friedrich Gueldener (1866-1914): A German zoologist and taxonomist who specialised in crustaceans.
• Arthur Gueldener (1869-1920): An Austrian botanist and phycologist who published several important works on algae.
• August Gueldener (1862-1936): A German physiologist and anatomist who studied the anatomy of the eye, the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, and cancer tumours.
• Karl-Otto Gueldener (1934-2020): A German engineer and physicist who developed energy systems and nuclear power plants.
• Kurt Gueldener (1896-1956): A German mathematician and aerospace engineer who developed a new type of aircraft wing.
• Waldemar Gueldener (1877-1963): A German philologist who did research on Ancient Greek and Sanskrit and published several works on those languages.
• Ernst Ludwig Gueldener (1909-1992): A German psychologist and psychotherapist. He was an early adopter of psychosomatic medicine and wrote several books on the psychological aspects of mental health.

Other surnames

Gueldenpfennig