Surname Löwenfeld - Meaning and Origin
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Löwenfeld: What does the surname Löwenfeld mean?
The surname Löwenfeld is of Germanic origin. It is a topographical name referring to someone who lived near a place that was home to lions. This type of place name typically was derived from a place in Germany where a coat-of-arms depicted a lion.
The surname Löwenfeld usually derived from the German verb "Löwe," which means "lion." This name could have been taken on by a family who lived near a prominent landmark featuring a lion, or a ruling family whose crest featured a powerful symbol of a lion.
The surnames of Germanic origin often denote a characteristic of the individual or family. Therefore, it is likely that the Löwenfelds were known for their ferocity and strength, much like a lion. Alternatively, it may suggest that the ancestors of this family were noble or aristocratic, since the heraldic lion had been associated with ruling and elevated classes in Europe.
The name is still commonly found in Germany, particularly in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. Variations of the surname include Löwenfels, Löwenfeldt, and Löwenfelded. It is also common among German-speaking Jews in Europe, who adopted the name in the 1600’s to replace the Jewish surnames they had been using.
Order DNA origin analysisLöwenfeld: Where does the name Löwenfeld come from?
The last name Löwenfeld is most commonly found today in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and regions of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, including parts of the modern day Czech Republic and Slovakia. The name is especially prominent in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the regions of Tyrol, Carinthia, and Vorarlberg in Austria, and the areas around the Swiss city of Zürich.
The earliest known record of Löwenfeld as a surname appears to date from 1725, when a certain Cornelius Löwenfeld was baptized in Upper Franconia, a region of Bavaria. This suggests that the family may have originated in this region, and it is likely that most modern Löwenfelds arise from this single ancestor.
In recent days, the Löwenfeld surname is retained by a number of influential personalities in Germany and Austria, such as journalists, musicians, politicians, and businesspeople. Some of the more famous Löwenfelds include Anna Löwenfeld, an Austrian actress and TV presenter, and Hans-Jürgen Löwenfeld, a former member of the German federal parliament.
Although the presence of the Löwenfeld surname is still strong in the German-speaking world today, there is no single country where it is prominent enough to unanimously qualify as their homeland. Nonetheless, the legacy of the Löwenfelds still lives on through the many members of the family who have established successful lives in their countries of residence in Europe.
Variations of the surname Löwenfeld
The surname Löwenfeld is of German origin and variants and spellings of the same name include: Loewenfeld, Loewenfeldt, Lewenfeld, Lewen, Lionfeld, and Lowenfeld.
Lionfeld is a version of the name which originates in Yiddish and combines two words – “Lion” which is German for “Löwe” and “feld” meaning field or meadow. Therefore, one possible meaning of this surname is “Lion's Field”.
The surname Lewenthal derives from a version of the name Löwenfeld, with the variance in spelling coming from how non-German speakers pronounced the name when they heard it for the first time.
The surname Loewenthal is also derived from the Löwenfeld name and originates from a similar manner as the Lewenthal surname.
The surname Loewenfeldt is a more modern version of the name which originates in Germany, and is a combination of two words - “Loewe” meaning Lion, and “Feldt” which can mean either “field” or “meadow”.
The surname Lowenfeld is derived from how the name is pronounced in Yiddish and typically holds the same meaning as “Löwenfeld”.
The surname Lewen is another spelling of the name derived from how non-German speakers pronounced the name, combining “Löwe” and “Feld” meaning field or meadow.
Famous people with the name Löwenfeld
- Arthur Löwenfeld: German playwright and screenwriter
- Johannes Löwenfeld: German astrophysicist
- Paul S. Löwenfeld: German American entrepreneur
- Monika Löwenstein-Wertheimer: German American photographer and collector
- Ludwig Richard Löwenfeld: German pathologist
- Johannes Löwenfeld von Löwenstädt: German zoologist and naturalist
- Jörg Löwenfeld: German politician
- Johann Adolf Löwenfeld: German surgeon
- Richard Löwenfeld: German entomologist
- Jakob Gottfried Löwenfeld: German physicist