Surname Gueldner - Meaning and Origin
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Gueldner: What does the surname Gueldner mean?
The last name Gueldner is an occupational name that comes from the Old German word gildinari, meaning “payment collector” or “treasurer”, and its derived form “gelt”, meaning “money”. The surname is believed to have originally been used to denote someone who was employed in a financial capacity by local lords. It might be associated with a position of trust, such as a treasurer or tax collector, which was an honorable and well-paying job for its time.
Gueldner is a common surname found throughout Germany, Eastern Europe and North America, with a significant number of people who bear this name in the United States. The first known instance in the United States of someone bearing this name was William Gueldner, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1753 from Schwerin, Germany.
The name Gueldner can also be found in literature, with a character by the name of William Gueldner featured in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s famous play Faust. Gueldner appears as an honorable merchant in the play, and his character is described as having “levied tribute, exacted dues, and bequeathed with many a wealthy testament”.
In contemporary times, Gueldner is still widely used as a surname and can be found throughout many countries today. It serves as a reminder of the history of this name and its original purpose to denote someone who dealt in finances.
Order DNA origin analysisGueldner: Where does the name Gueldner come from?
The last name Gueldner is most commonly found in German-speaking countries today, with many of its bearers living in the region of Baden-Württemberg. This region is located in Southwest Germany and consists of both the state of Baden-Württemberg itself and the area of the adjacent Rhineland-Palatinate.
It is believed the name first originated among the Germanic peoples of Lower Saxony, an area that used to be the most populated by the descendants of various Germanic tribes. Many of these tribes were referred to collectively as the Saxons who had migrated from Northern Germany and settled in the area during the 5th century A.D.
The prevalence of the name Gueldner can also be seen in other countries, including the United States of America. Here, its bearers are mainly concentrated in several areas including Pennsylvania, California, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
This can be attributed to the wave of German immigrants who traveled to America in the 19th century in search of a better life. Many of them settled in one of those previously mentioned states, bringing with them family names and customs that are still thriving today.
In Germany, the last name Gueldner is fairly popular today, with a total of around 3,000 Germans bearing the same name. It is often seen to be a variation of the last name “Geldner”, with some scholars believing it to be derived from the Germanic word “gaild”, which means treasure or treasure trove.
Variations of the surname Gueldner
Gueldner is a German surname. It is a variant of the last name Geldner which originated from the Upper German term 'gualtner', meaning money handler or treasurer. Other variants of the surname include Geldner, Geltner, Geldener, Gueldener, Gueltner, Galtner, and Gildener.
One of the earliest records of this surname can be found in documents related to the past small German settlement in the village of Liebischeck, located in the county of Sinn, within the region of Prussia during the 18th century.
In 1804, Anton Gueldner, a schoolmaster and merchant from Liebischeck, traveled to the newly independent United States of America with his family. He settled in New York, where his surname was changed to Gildener by the staff at Ellis Island. His descendants continued to use the new spelling in the U.S., while other Gueldners immigrated to England or other areas of Europe.
The spelling of Gueldner and its variants can be found in many other countries around the world, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Surnames derived from Gueldner include Goldner, Goldener, Gilder, Gilderman, and Guldemann. These are all from the same root word “gualtner”, but are adapted to the languages of the various countries in which they have been recorded.
Famous people with the name Gueldner
- Alexander Gueldner: German musician and vocalist who is best known as the drummer of the metal band Sodom.
- Mia Gueldner: American dancer, choreographer, and YouTuber.
- Lennard Gueldner: German ju-jitsu fighter and member of the coaching team of the German national ju-jitsu team.
- Angelika Gueldner: German computer scientist and university professor.
- Martina Gueldner: German television presenter and author.
- Jochen Gueldner: Former German footballer and professional sports agent.
- Monika Gueldner: German National Volleyball player who competed for her country at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
- Norbert Gueldner: German writer and literary scholar.
- Conrad Gueldner: German goldsmith and medalist.
- Georgette Gueldner: German professional figure skater.