Surname Goepel - Meaning and Origin

Goepel: What does the surname Goepel mean?

Goepel is a German surname of toponymic origin. The name is thought to have derived from various localities, including Goepeln in Brandenburg, Goepel in Hanover, and Goepel in Saxony. It can also be derived from the Slavic term for "lake."

The Goepel surname has multiple spelling variants, which include Gepel, Goepel, Göpel, Goippel, and Güppel. It is commonly found in the German states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia.

This is a moderately common German surname, which can be traced back to the early Patriarch of the name who lived in the 13th century. In subsequent generations, members of the various Goepel branches spread out across Europe, settling in many different countries including Czechia, England, France, and Canada.

Goepel is known most for its unique coat of arms, which shows a black eagle with a split and forked tail issuing from a golden coronet with the motto “Virtue and Honor”.

The Goepel surname has been carried down for generations and today it has symbolic importance due to its historical connection as a badge of honor. It can be found in many records from since the middle ages, especially in the region of Brandenburg, Germany.

Goepel: Where does the name Goepel come from?

The last name Goepel is primarily found in Germany today, where it is most commonly distributed in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. According to family search records, this surname was most common in Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries, being mostly found in the border regions between Germany and Poland. Today, there is also a concentration of Goepels in the United States, especially in the northeast. There are also known cases of the surname in Russia, as many German settlers migrated to the area beginning in the late 1700s. The Goepel name is also believed to be found across other parts of Europe, including France, Switzerland and Austria.

Goepels have an interesting and well-documented history in Germany. They are believed to be related to a cross between two founding families, the Geschwür and the Planken. These families were both Germanic, and their surnames were believed to be derived from the words “Geschwür” (meaning “to make a noise”) and “Planken” (meaning “to beat”). The two families intermarried around the 12th century, and this union produced a new surname, Goepel.

Nowadays, Goepels in Germany are believed to be mostly blue-collar workers, such as miners and factory workers. In the United States, the Goepel surname is often found in more upper-middle and upper-class occupations, such as professors, lawyers, and doctors. With such a wide distribution, it is clear that the Goepel name has been established in many parts of the world.

Variations of the surname Goepel

The Goepel surname can refer to several different versions of a surname that can have different spellings and variants. The origins of the surname stem from the German ‘Göpel’ with variants including Gepel, Goepel, Göpfel, Gaepel, Goepfel, Goepfler, Goepflin, Gepple, Geppl, Geppel, Gebbel, Gebl, Gebel, and Gobel. It is sometimes found with the standardized spelling of Goppel.

In German, the surname Goepel is likely derived from ‘guppeln’ which means ‘to look up,’ ‘to cheat,’ or ‘to deceive.’ This occupational nickname is symbolic of someone who is a trader or businessman. Additionally, in some cases, Goepel may have derived from the Slavic word ‘gapa’ that translates to ‘to gaze’ or ‘stare.’

The earliest documented form of the surname in German records dates back to the 16th century where it is found in the eastern part of Germany, whilst the name is also found in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and several other European countries.

The variations of the surname in other countries include Gépfel in Hungary, Goopel in Sweden, Goepel in Denmark, Goipel in Scotland, Gaepels in Holland, Geppls in the United States, and Gappel in Russia.

The surname has also been found in various contexts as Goepel, Goepele, Goepelle, Goepeln, Goepelt, Goepell and Goepellin.

Thus, the name Goepel has numerous spellings, variants, and surnames that are all of the same origin.

Famous people with the name Goepel

• Erika Goepel: German biathlete and cross-country skier specializing in women's individual, pursuit, and sprint
• Ernst Goepel: German classical scholar who made important contributions to the study of Ancient Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit
• Hans Goepel: German conductor, composer, musicologist, and scholar from the Weimar period
• Horst Goepel: German engineer and physicist, known for his pioneering work in Moritz von Jacobi's field of galvanomagnetism
• Martin Goepel: German philologist and archaeologist
• Michael Goepel: German composer and conductor of postmodern works
• Peter Goepel: German footballer who has mainly played for high-level clubs in the first and second divisions
• Sepp Goepel: Germano-Brazilian Roman Catholic bishop, who is serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Porto Alegre
• Uwe Goepel: German physicist and a professor at Freie Universität Berlin
• Wilhelm Goepel: German doctor of theology, Rector of the University of Heidelberg, and Dean of thePhilosophical Faculty there.

Other surnames

Goepen