Surname Gobbels - Meaning and Origin

Gobbels: What does the surname Gobbels mean?

The last name Gobbels originates from the German language and is of toponymic origin, meaning that it was originally derived from the name of a place. The origin of the name can be traced to the Gobbelsbach region, an area located in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district of North rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The name Gobbels can also be associated with the Germans, who settled in this region in the 6th & 7th centuries. The fact that the Gobbels had/have their own particular dialect further reinforces that the family has been living there for a long time.

When researching the origin of last names, they are often said to have certain meanings, although this is not always the case. There is no general meaning associated with the last name Gobbels. However it is associated with industry, from those found in the mines and quarries to their renowned ironwork.

The Gobbels family are popular throughout history and have often been associated with great works of literature, particularly fiction. The well-known author Thomas Mann was one of the first of the Gobbels to be widely read.

At the other end of the scale there was Joseph Goebbels, the infamous propaganda minister to Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany. He was born in Rheydt, a city close to the Gobbelsbach region, though whether he was actually a member of the Gobbels family is unclear.

The Gobbels family continues to live in and around the Gobbelsbach area to this day, many of them still holding the same professions as their predecessors and living in the same small rural idyll that has been the source of the family's success.

Gobbels: Where does the name Gobbels come from?

Gobbels is a German surname originating in the medieval period. It can still be found in Germany today, particularly in the northern and western regions of the country. The name is relatively uncommon in Germany, making up less than one percent of the population.

The surname is thought to be derived from a diminutive form of Göbbels, a German personal name derived from the Old Germanic rendition of the Old High German name Gottbehalts. This name literally means “God keep.”

Gobbels is also found in other countries across Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland. It is also present in small numbers in the United States, where it was brought by German immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The variants of Gobbels include Gobel, Gebel, Gevel, Giebel, Gippel, Guebbel, Gebbels, Giesel, and Giebler. All these are related to Gobbels in some way, mostly due to regional phonetic changes as the name has moved from Germany to other countries.

Overall, Gobbels is an uncommon surname across the world, though it is still present in many European countries. It is particularly strong in Germany, where there are estimated to be around 4,000 individuals with the surname.

Variations of the surname Gobbels

The surname Gobbels is most commonly found in the German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, as well as in the Low Countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and parts of northern France. It is thought to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany where a family of the name were documented as early as the 16th century. Various variant spellings of the surname Gobbels exist. Some of the variants include: Gobbel, Goebel, Göbel, Gebel, Gäbel, Gebel, Goabel, Goeble, Gübel, Guebel, Gebel and Gobel.

The surname can also appear as its Dutch equivalent, Goebels. In the region of Liechtenstein, an alternative spelling is also commonly found, Gubbels. Additionally, depending on the preferences of the individual, the "s" at the end of the surname Gobbels may sometimes be dropped and written as Gobbel.

Since the widespread adoption of the patronymic system, there have been many separate families of the name Gobbels throughout Germany. As a result, various other surnames such as Gobbelmann, Gebelmann, Cobels, Geblemann, Goebelsmann, Geble, Gabelmann, Gabel, Gabelman and Goebelman have also evolved.

Famous people with the name Gobbels

• Joseph Goebbels: Joseph Goebbels was a top spokesman for Adolf Hitler and a leading Nazi who played a significant role in the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. He was one of the leading architects of the Holocaust and was directly responsible for the Nazi regime’s oppressive policies.
• Magda Goebbels: Magda Goebbels was the wife of Joseph Goebbels, which made her one of the most prominent females in Nazi Germany. She raised six children and often served as a hostess for Adolf Hitler’s social events.
• Heidrun Goebbels: Heidrun Goebbels was the oldest daughter of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. She was born in the mid-1930s and survived the war. After the war, she married and immigrated to West Germany.
• Harald Goebbels: Harald Goebbels was one of the sons of Joseph and Magda Goebbels and the eldest of the Goebbels children. He was born in the 1930s, but died of diphtheria in 1935 at the age of four.
• Helga Goebbels: Helga was one of the daughters of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. She was born in 1932 and died in a bunker in 1945 at the age of 13 along with her siblings and parents.
• Viktor Goebbels: Viktor Goebbels was a younger son of Joseph and Magda Goebbels and the twin brother of Hildegard. He was born in 1940 and died in 1945 at the age of five.
• Hildegard Goebbels: Hildegard Goebbels was the daughter of Joseph and Magda Goebbels and the twin sister of Viktor. She was born in 1940 and died in 1945 at the age of five.
• Paul and Elke Goebbels: Paul Goebbels and Elke Goebbels are siblings who are living descendants of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. They have both publicly denounced the actions of their grandparents and have worked to promote peace and tolerance.

Other surnames

GobbeGobbelGöbbelGobbellGöbbeln