Surname Gföllner - Meaning and Origin
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Gföllner: What does the surname Gföllner mean?
The last name Gföllner is a German family name, derived from the combination of two separate words. The prefix ‘Gfö’ can be translated as “man from the fallow land,” referring to an area where soil has been left in its natural, uncultivated state. The suffix ‘ner’ is also of Germanic origin, and it is a diminutive meaning “small.”
Overall, the last name Gföllner can be interpreted as “man of the small fallow land,” perhaps indicating that the family’s ancestors had ownership or rights over a patch of such land. The name itself is not extremely common, but does appear in records from the 18th and 19th centuries often in southern Germany. Additionally, the name Gföllner is likely to have evolved from an ancient occupational surname, given to someone who was a tenant farmer or landholder of the fallow land.
Other than records, the last name Gföllner has also been popularized by notable figures. For example, the German philosopher Ernst Gföllner is known for his work in dialectics and is mentioned in numerous philosophy books. Regardless of its origin, today the last name Gföllner has become associated with a noble legacy and strong sense of identity.
Order DNA origin analysisGföllner: Where does the name Gföllner come from?
The last name Gföllner is most common in Germany today. It is believed to have originated from Bothia, a region in southwestern Germany known for its valleys and Alpine foothills. It is estimated that approximately 5,450 people today have the last name Gföllner in Germany.
The surname Gföllner is most closely associated with the small town of Allach-Untermenzing, just north of Munich. The oldest records of the surname date back to 1709, when a Mathias Gföllner is recorded as having been a teacher in the town. Immigration research indicates that the majority of Gföllner families originated from Bavaria, though many today have moved or emigrated to other areas of Germany.
It is possible that the last name Gföllner was derived from a shortened version of the phrase “von der Goefelner”, meaning “from the Goefelner”, indicating a birthplace or home village. Alternative spellings of the surname include Goefelner, Goefilner, and Göffeler, while similar-sounding surnames include Geffeler, Goelner, and Goeller.
Outside of Germany, the Gföllner surname is also found in small numbers in the United States and Canada, as a result of both emigration and immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In particular, it is found among the 25,000 German immigrants who settled in the St. Louis, Missouri area in the 19th century.
Despite the fact that the last name Gföllner is not very common worldwide, its presence in Germany is significant and serves as a reminder of the vast cultural history of the country.
Variations of the surname Gföllner
The surname Gföllner is an old German name, derived from the Middle High German Föllner, Föller, or Völner, meaning “faller” or “feller” – a name given to someone who cut wood for a living.
There are several variants, spellings, and alternate surnames associated with this name. Common variants include Foellner, Foeller, Foellner, Völner, Völler, Völlner, Voellner, Voeller, Voellner, Föllner, Föller, and Föllner.
Alternate surnames derived from Gföllner include Feller, Fullner, Fuller, Voeller, Voller, Voelker, Volker, and Volcker. In the United States, these surnames are sometimes shortened to Feller, Fullner, and Fuller.
In addition, various spelling mistakes and typing errors have also resulted in additional surnames associated with this name, most notably Foeller, Foller, Follner, Foellor, and Follor.
Gföllner is considered to be the most popular spelling of this name in Germany today, while variants such as Foeller, Fullner, and Voeller are more common in the United States. Regardless, all variants of the name share the same meaning and originate from the same German root.
Famous people with the name Gföllner
- Jürgen Gföllner: he is a retired German footballer;
- Robert Gföllner: he is a successful Austrian businessman;
- Daniel Gföllner: he is a professor of European Law at the University of Vienna;
- Joachim Gföllner: he is an acclaimed German composer and a conductor of the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra;
- Anna Gföllner: she is an Austrian filmmaker, best known for her award-winning documentaries;
- Georg Gföllner: he is an accomplished German painter, specializing in miniature art;
- Jan Gföllner: he is a leading Austrian entrepreneur, primarily in the field of finance and banking;
- Sylvia Gföllner: she is a popular Austrian stage actress;
- Reinhold Gföllner: he is a prominent German sculptor, mostly working in abstract metallic forms;
- Stefan Gföllner: he is an acclaimed Austrian painter and sculptor, mostly in wood.