Surname Rothkegel - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'R'
Rothkegel: What does the surname Rothkegel mean?
The last name Rothkegel is an Anglo-Norman name that originated in medieval England. This name is of Germanic and Germanic-speaking origin. The Rothkegel name is composed of two elements, the first being rot, which means "red". The second element is kegel, which meant "peaked, pointed, or cone-shaped". This second element was likely referring to some geographical feature in the ancestral homeland of the family.
The Rothkegel family was likely an ancient family who settled in England during the height of the Roman Empire. They then followed the Norman diary lands during the Norman Conquest and ended up primarily in the Midlands and North areas of England.
The name Rothkegel has come to mean "red peak", likely referring to a distant mountain or geographic feature that the family was associated with. Over time, the name has become associated with courage, fortitude, and determination. It is often the source of encouragement and strength for those who bear the name.
The Rothkegel family legacy reaches back hundreds of years and can still be found in England, North America, and various other parts of the world. The family is still proud to bear the name, and it is a symbol of honor and strength to them.
Order DNA origin analysisRothkegel: Where does the name Rothkegel come from?
Rothkegel is a German surname found mainly in the German states of Lower Saxony and Nordrhein-Westfalen, which together form the old Kingdom of Prussia. It's also found in South Cameroon and in some parts of the Netherlands as well as in the United States.
In the United States, the last name Rothkegel is most prominent in southeastern Pennsylvania. While the largest concentration of those with the last name Rothkegel appears to be in Lebanon County, there are many others living in surrounding counties. Early records suggest that the surname was adopted by immigrants arriving in America during the mid-1800s. Others likely found their way here during the early 20th century migration of German families.
In Germany, the last name Rothkegel is still very common today, particularly in the southern regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. A fair number of records suggest that the name was originally derived from a place name in Germany, either in the Trier region or in a small village known as Rothkogel in Bavaria.
In some former German-speaking parts of Poland and Russia, the name is still in use today, although it is much rarer than it is in Germany. Some also now use the last name Rothkegel in South Cameroon, where a number of German immigrants settled in the late 19th century.
Variations of the surname Rothkegel
Rothkegel is a common surname originating in Germany and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. The surname can be spelled in several different ways, including Rothegel, Rothkögel, Rotkegel, Rothkegel, Rothkegle, Rothkegl, Rothegel, Rottegel and Rothegl.
In Germany, the name often appears as Rothkegel or Rothkögel, while its variants are mostly seen in Central and Eastern Europe. The Rothkegel surname is also found in North and South America among German-American immigrants who arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Variations of Rothkegel also appear in Dutch records in the form of Rottegel and Rothegel. While Rotkegel and Rothkegle are commonly found in Austria, Rothkegel and Rothkegl are more popular in Switzerland and Czech Republic.
The origin of the Rothkegel surname is uncertain, but it is thought to be derived from Middle High German rodegel, meaning ‘small spear’. The name may have been given to either a spear carrier, or someone who lived near a spear-shaped structure or location.
No matter the origin of the surname, it's clear that Rothkegel is a common surname with many variants. In some cases, it can be spelled differently depending on an individual's country of origin, but all of its forms share a common Germanic history.
Famous people with the name Rothkegel
- Jochen Rothkegel: successful German footballer who played for a variety of clubs, most notably HSV in the 1990s.
- Bianca Rothkegel: German actress, singer, model, and film producer. She has appeared in several television shows and movies, including Gegen jeden Zweifel.
- Rudolf Rothkegel: German author and illustrator who wrote the popular children’s book series Die wilden Tiere.
- Monika Rothkegel: German photographer and curator known for her work on the photographic history of the Third Reich.
- Marc Rothkegel: German-born artist whose sculptures, installations, and paintings have been exhibited around the world.
- Claudia Rothkegel: German fashion designer who has designed for some of the top labels in the fashion industry.
- Heinz Rothkegel: German physicist and specialist in quantum mechanics who made important contributions to the development of atomic theory.
- Karl Rothkegel: German conductor who conducted for the Berlin Philharmonic and Munich State Theater.
- Birgitte Rothkegel: Danish-born painter and sculptor whose work is made primarily in images of horses.
- Thorsten Rothkegel: German film director who directed the critically-acclaimed Berlin trilogy.