Surname Kauffmann - Meaning and Origin

Kauffmann: What does the surname Kauffmann mean?

The last name Kauffmann can trace its origins back to the medieval Germanic word Kaufmannwhich translates to ‘merchant’ or ‘businessman’. It is most likely derived from the profession of the original ancestor of the Kauffmann surname.

The Kauffmann surname is found predominantly in central and south-eastern Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland. It is believed to have been brought to the United States by German immigrants in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

The Kauffmann surname is also associated with various branches of the French nobility, with the title coming from Gaspard Kauffman, an 18th century German immigrant to France. Furthermore, many branches of the Dutch nobility have also been linked to the name, for example, the Baron of Kauffmann von Blümlingen, who was an influential member of the Dutch court in the 19th century.

The Kauffmann name today is associated with a proud lineage of merchants, business people, leaders and nobles of Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is an honor to bear this surname and carry on the legacy of hard work, determination and success displayed by its ancestors.

Kauffmann: Where does the name Kauffmann come from?

The last name Kauffmann is quite common today, particularly in parts of Europe and the United States.

In Germany, the name is particularly common in the southwestern states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, and Hesse. It is thought that the surname originates from the region of Alsace, which is now the borders of France and Germany. Elements of the French language are often observed in the spelling of the name.

In the United States, the surname is also quite common, particularly in Pennsylvania and Ohio where many people with German ancestry settled in the early 19th century. It is listed as one of the top 1000 surnames in the United States.

Overall, the surname Kauffmann is a common one that can be found in many different countries in Europe and North American, primarily in areas populated by people of German descent. It is still quite popular today and is found in all kinds of records from public registries to printed books.

Variations of the surname Kauffmann

The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Kauffmann are Kauffman, Kaufman, Kauffman, Kaufmann, Koffman, Koffmann, Kaffman, Kaffman, Kauf, Kauf, Coffman, Coffmann, Coffmann, Kaftan and Kaftanoff.

Kauffmann is an occupational name derived from the Middle High German (MHG) ‘couffemann’. The first recorded spelling of the family name is in 1295, when one Brueder Koffman was witnessed in Suben, in the district of Ansbach in Bavaria.

Kauffmann is the most common spelling of this name in Germany, the US and the UK. In the United States, the surname is more commonly spelled Kaufman. Additionally, the spelling coffman appears in records of German emigrants from the Palatinate.

The name Kauffmann can also be found spelled in its original form as Couffman, Coufman, or Couffmann. In some cases, the surname has been elongated, with two Fs (Kaffman, Kaffmann) or three fs (Kauffman, Kauffman, Kauffmann). Koffman, Koffmann, and Kaftanoff are other forms.

Kaufman is widely used in Jewish families of the United States to denote ancestry or similar. The suffix -mann is derived from Old High German (OHG), meaning man, and is an indication of the original status of the bearer of the name.

In the United States, the name appears as Kauffman, Kaufmann, Kauffmann, Koffman, Coffman, and other variations, though Kaufmann and Kauffmann are the two most common spellings. In Canada, Kaufmann and Kauffmann are the most common spellings, while most of the UK population spells the name as Kauffman.

Overall, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Kauffmann are Kauffman, Kaufman, Kauffman, Kaufmann, Koffman, Koffmann, Kaffman, Kaffman, Kauf, Kauf, Coffman, Coffmann, Coffmann, Kaftan and Kaftanoff.

Famous people with the name Kauffmann

• Karl Kauffmann: former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Editha Kauffmann: first woman to become a banker in the United States
• Johan Joseph Kauffmann: renowned 18th-century Austrian composer
• Angelica Kauffmann: celebrated 18th-century Swiss-Austrian painter
• Jakob Christoph Kauffmann: German Baroque musician and composer
• Carl Kauffmann: German military writer and publisher
• Peter Kauffmann: German painter and author
• Wilhelm Kauffmann: Prussian general and field marshal
• Andreas Kauffmann: German chemist and metallurgist
• Josef Kauffmann: German composer of music for the Catholic and Lutheran churches

Other surnames

Kauffman