Surname Gürtel - Meaning and Origin

Gürtel: What does the surname Gürtel mean?

Gürtel is a German surname, meaning belt in English. It is traditionally an occupational name, derived from the trade or occupation of Gürtler, a maker of belts and straps from metal and leather. During the Middle Ages and beyond, men and women often wore belts as a sign of either rank or wealth. The Gürtel family are believed to have been artisans in the Middle Ages, possibly in a trade guild, making and selling highly decorative and elaborate belts and straps to clients of courtly rank.

In modern times the surname is found primarily in parts of Germany, though it also may be encountered in Austria and neighbouring countries. It is believed to have its origins in Bavaria and Austria, and older variations of the name may include Gurtel, Curtel, Gürtl, Gurtl, Gier, Gierle, and Gierling. As contemporary descendants of the Gürtel family, those bearing this surname today may still possess the same strong craftsmanship and creative spirit that their ancestors had centuries ago.

Gürtel: Where does the name Gürtel come from?

The last name Gürtel is most commonly found in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. This surname is shared by people living in other parts of Europe, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, but the name appears to be much more widespread in German-speaking areas.

Gürtel is a patronymic or identifying name derived from the Germanic personal name “Gürt”. The earliest record of this name dates to 1270, when a Siekko Gúrtel was mentioned in the records of the monastery of St. Engehard in Germany.

Because it is such an old German name, it is quite possible to find people with the last name Gürtel anywhere in Europe where there is a considerable population of German-speakers. For example, there are families by the name of Gürtel living in the United States, Canada, and Brazil - areas with substantial German immigration.

It is difficult to determine how many people today bear the name Gürtel, but it is likely that this is still a fairly common name in the German-speaking countries of Europe.

Variations of the surname Gürtel

The surname Gürtel has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Gurtel, Girtel, Gierthel, Gierthly, Gierthle, Girtley, Girtly, Gierael, and Gurtly.

Gurtel is the standard German version of the name. The main features of this spelling are an umlaut on the “U” and a dropped “e” at the end. This variant is the most common of all the spellings of the name.

Girtel is a more simplified spelling of Gurtel. In this version, the umlaut is removed from the “U”, the omitted “e” at the end is replaced with an “l”, and the “t” is substituted with an “r”. This spelling is mainly found in English speaking countries.

Gierthel is another version of Gurtel and is mainly found in some regions of southern Germany. This spelling keeps the umlaut and dropped “e” of Gurtel, but the addition of an “h” is unique to this variation.

Gierthly, Gierthle, and Girtley are alternate variants of Gierthel. All of these spellings replace the dropped “e” at the end of Gierthel with either an “y” or “e”, respectively.

Girtly is similar to Gierthel in that it keeps the umlaut and dropped “e” at the end. It distinguishes itself from Gierthel by dropping the “h” between the “r” and “t”.

Gierael and Gurtly are two variants of the name that are mainly used in Scandinavian countries as well as some parts of North America. Both variants keep the umlaut and dropped “e” of Gurtel, with Gurtly dropping the “h” between the “r” and “t”, as in Girtly, and Gierael replacing the “t” with an “a”.

In conclusion, the surname Gürtel has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Gurtel, Girtel, Gierthel, Gierthly, Gierthle, Girtley, Girtly, Gierael, and Gurtly.

Famous people with the name Gürtel

• Thomas Gürtel: Thomas Gürtel is a German entrepreneur and activist. He is the founder of several German startups, including the energy-saving company GreenPower, which has branches in Germany and other countries.
• Josef Gürtel: Josef Gürtel was an Austrian lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Vienna from 1918 to 1921 and as the first ambassador of the newly established Republic of Austria in 1922.
• Rosa Gürtel: Rosa Gürtel was a German spiritualist and healer at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. She developed and promoted spiritual healing methods for promoting good health and for curing various ailments.
• Bernhard Gürtel: Bernhard Gürtel was an Austrian physicist and electrical engineer who studied the behavior of current over electric wires and the behavior of current over long distances.
• Amelie Gürtel: Amelie Gürtel was an Austrian sculptor of the late 19th century. She was also a portraitist, specializing in oil paintings of the aristocracy of the Austrian Empire.
• Barbara Gürtel: Barbara Gürtel was a German film actress of the 1930s and 1940s. She appeared in numerous German films of the era, and was a popular actress in her own right.
• Robert Gürtel: Robert Gürtel was an Austrian astronomer who studied comets, asteroids, and space debris. He is credited with discovering at least 5 comets.
• Michael Gürtel: Michael Gürtel was a German footballer who played in the top tier of German football for two decades in the 1960s and 70s. He is best remembered for his time with Hertha Berlin.

Other surnames

Gürteler