Surname Krügel - Meaning and Origin
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Krügel: What does the surname Krügel mean?
Krügel is a German surname derived from the German word “krügel”, which means “earthenware jar” or “barrel”. The surname is believed to have originated as a patronymic name derived from a name of an ancestor, likely taken from the occupation of a potter or from a nickname indicating the original bearer had a rounded or full-bodied shape.
However, because the surname is rare, it is difficult to give a precise answer beyond the etymological origin mentioned above. The name is thought to have been most common in western Germany and northern Austria, although it is found in many areas of Germany and Austria today.
The Krügel families that it may have belonged to had many surname variations including Krügelmann, Kruegel, Krügelber, Kruger, Kruogl, and Krugger. Early records of the surname date back as far as the 15th century in the Holy Roman region, although some variation of the name can be found much earlier.
The Krügel surname still exists today, but is considered a rare surname with only a small number of individuals having the Krügel name. Overall, the Krügel surname has a long and rich history with a unique etymological origin, and is a link to a distant past for the individuals who bear the name in the present day.
Order DNA origin analysisKrügel: Where does the name Krügel come from?
The last name Krügel is most common today in Germany and parts of Europe, particularly in northern Germany. Krügel is a fairly rare German surname, but it is more frequently found in Germany’s northern states such as Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt. In fact, according to a study of surnames published in 2006, Krügel is the 45th most popular surname in Lower Saxony.
The surname is believed to have originated in the Germanic language, probably deriving from a combination of the words 'Kru+gel.' Those two words then combined to form Krügel, an archaic term for a person who lived or worked near a hollow or a depression in the ground. Over time, the surname has become more commonplace and can now be seen in many records from German-speaking areas and elsewhere in Europe.
Within Germany, the last name Krügel is more likely to be found in rural areas rather than in larger cities. Although Krügel is not an especially common surname, it is not especially rare either and there are several notable people with this last name, including a German sculptor, Heinrich Krügel.
The surname Krügel, while certainly not ubiquitous, is found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, including northern Germany, which is where the surname is most concentrated. Those with the last name Krügel today are likely to be direct descendants of those who lived in the area centuries ago.
Variations of the surname Krügel
Krügel is a German surname that can be spelled and appear in different variations such as Kriegel, Kriegel, Kriigel, Kriegl, Kriegel, Kruel, Kruegel, Krugell and Krugell. Variants and spellings of the name Krügel also include Krügler, Krügeler, Krügelmann, Krümel, Krümelmann, Krüger and Krögel.
Krügel is an occupational surname, referring to someone who was a barrel maker or cooper. The name originated from old German words for either a basket or vessel used for collecting fruit, or from 'krögel' – which referred to a water bucket or pail.
The variants of the name Krügel can be traced to numerous countries throughout Europe, with variants of the name found in France as Gruel, in Spain as Cruelles, in Portugal as Gruelas and Krugel, in Hungary as Krizel and in Slovakia as Krígel.
Krügel is also used as a personal first name in Germany and some other countries, as an alternate spelling of the spelling Kreugel or Kreügel or Kriugel or Kriügel, which in turn come from the old German term for die or dice.
Krügel is the name of various towns, including Krügel in Brandenburg, Germany, Kruegel in the Czech Republic, and Kreugel in the Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Krügel
- Mathias Krügel: German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Girona FC.
- Martina Krügel: German skeleton racer who won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
- Lisa Krügel: German professional basketball player who currently plays for Basket HotVolPotsdam.
- Ole Krügel: German professional footballer who currently plays for VFR Aalen as a defender.
- Jan-Ole Krügel: German professional figure skater who won the silver medal at the European Championships in 2020.
- Sacha Krügel: German professional footballer who currently plays for SSV Jahn Regensburg as a midfielder.
- Uwe Krügel: German professional footballer who played for a number of clubs throughout his career, including Hertha BSC.
- Gil Ofarim: Also known as Gil Ofarim Krügel, a German singer and songwriter.
- Madeleine Krügel: German film producer and actress known for her work on various independent films.
- Jakob Krügel: German physicist and mathematician who was a pioneer of the early 20th-century computer age.