Surname Kreutzfeld - Meaning and Origin

Kreutzfeld: What does the surname Kreutzfeld mean?

Kreutzfeld is a German surname derived from the Old High German term “Kreuz”, meaning “cross”, and “feld”, meaning “field” or “area”, thus creating a literal translation of “cross field” or “cross area”. It first appears in documents from the 12th century in the region of Niedersachsen, and was largely spread throughout the German population in the Middle Ages.

In some instances, individuals bearing this surname may have acted as boundary markers for Medieval cities and fortresses, due to the presence of the cross in the surname. This accounts for why the Kreutzfeld name can be found in practically every region in Germany.

Currently, the Kreutzfeld surname is recognized as a toponymic surname, meaning it is associated with a Medieval or contemporary place name. Examples of such place names include Kreutzfeld, a river or stream near Niedersachsen, or the Kreutzfeld town in the Münsterland region.

It can be assumed that those who initially bore the name Kreutzfeld originally lived near a river or town with a similar name, ruling out an occupational origin for this particular surname. Since its initial appearance, the Kreutzfeld surname has since become widespread throughout Europe and around the world, being found in places as far as the US, Canada, Australia, and beyond.

Kreutzfeld: Where does the name Kreutzfeld come from?

The Kreutzfeld surname is most commonly found in Germany, especially in the north-western region of North Rhine-Westphalia, which borders the Netherlands. It is also associated with regions of France, Poland, and Austria.

The name has its roots in the ancient German language. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic words "Kriut" or "Kriutiz," meaning "bitterness," and "feld," loosely translated to mean "field."

Migration patterns have taken the Kreutzfeld surname to other countries, including the United States and Canada. There are approximately 736 people with this name scattered across the North American continent.

The name is also found in other countries, including Russia, Norway, Estonia, and Sweden. Records also indicate that there are some families with this surname in China and Brazil.

While there is no one specific region that is home to the majority of people bearing the Kreutzfeld surname, Germany, the United States, and Canada have the most, with many other countries contributing to the global population as well.

Variations of the surname Kreutzfeld

Kreutzfeld is a German surname that is derived from the words 'Kreuz' and 'Feld' which means 'Cross Field'. The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Creutzfeld, Kreutzfelt, Kreutzfelder, Crautfield, Crestfelder, Cretzfeld, Kretzfeld, Kretsfield, Krautfeld, Krautfield, and Krautfelder.

Variants of Kreutzfeld are often spelled with a 'C' instead of a 'K'. An example of this is 'Crautfield'. This spelling has interchangeable pronunciation with Kreutzfeld, just with a different spelling. Likewise, some variants of this surname may include 'Cretzfeld' with the alternate spelling of 'T.' Another variant includes 'Kretsfield' which is derived from the root words 'Kreuz' and 'Feld' with the capital '0' instead of an 'E.' This is another way to spell the surname in Germanic form.

Spellings of Kreutzfeld that involve a 'Feld' with a 'D' at the end of it include 'Kreutzfelder', 'Krautfeld', and 'Krautfelder'. These three spellings are interchangeable with each other but the difference lies in the middle letter. Kreutzfelder includes the double 'L' in the spelling, Krautfeld replaces the double 'L' with a 'U' and Krautfelder includes 'Felder' which denotes a plural form of the 'Feld' root word.

Other surnames that have the same origin as Kreutzfeld include Crestfelder and Krautfield. The spelling of 'Crest' in Crestfelder has to do with Germanic regionalism in Austria. The spelling of 'Kraut' in Krautfield is in reference to the Germanic slang word used to describe a cabbage or greens.

Kreutzfeld is a common Germanic surname, and the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin reflect the same meaning and intention but with slight, interchangeable spelling differences.

Famous people with the name Kreutzfeld

• Willem de Kooning: Dutch-born American abstract expressionist painter
• William S. Burroughs: American novelist, short story writer, satirist, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer
• Reinhold Messner: Italian mountaineer, explorer, and adventurer
• Frederick Kreutzfeld: German naturalist, zoologist, and explorer
• Rudolf Kreutzfeld: German architect and lithographer
• Karel Kreutzfeld: Czech philosopher and theologian
• Ralph Kreutzfeld: German physician
• Klaus Kreutzfeld: German film director
• Jean-Philippe Kreutzfeld: French composer, pianist, and musicologist
• Uwe Kreutzfeld: German physicist and medical scientist

Other surnames

Kreutzfeldt