Surname Krebs - Meaning and Origin

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E. Krebs

Krebs: What does the surname Krebs mean?

The last name Krebs has German origins and has a few possible meanings. It is derived from the German word "krebse" which means crab. This likely refers to the geographical location where the first known bearer of the name originated from, or a characteristic of the person bearing the name. Alternatively, the name could have descended from a nickname given to a person with a greedy or unpleasant personality.

The name is most commonly found in central-eastern Germany and Austria, though variants of the surname have spread around Europe and even to the United States. Records of the name have been found as far back as the Middle Ages, when one Ekmund der Krebs is mentioned in a 1250 document in Germany.

Because the name has both possible geographic and personal associations, Krebs can carry varied connotations amongst those who use it. For many, it carries the sense of an honorable and long-standing family tradition. For others, it may carry the sense of the resourcefulness, resilience, and kindness of a crab. For some, it may be remembered with fondness and reverence, and for others it may carry a very different meaning.

Krebs: Where does the name Krebs come from?

The last name Krebs is often associated with Germanic regions, particularly in the 16th century when it was first recorded. It is still relatively common today in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Bohemia, as well as parts of Northern Italy and the Netherlands. It has also been recorded in America since the mid-1800s with immigrants from these regions, particularly Prussia, arriving in the US and settling in places such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The name is popular among Jewish families, possibly because of its similarities in sound and origin to the Hebrew word “Korav,” which means “to rave or shout.” As of the 2010 US census, there were approximately 12,000 people with the surname Krebs living in the US. This suggests a moderately high level of popularity, but far from the most commonly found.

The surname is also quite popular in Peru, due to the influx of German immigrants in the late 19th century. There are estimated to be over 8,000 people with the surname Krebs living in Peru, mainly in the capital, Lima.

In summary, the surname Krebs is commonly found in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bohemia, Northern Italy, the Netherlands, the US, and Peru. It has likely been in existence since at least the 16th century, and may have had a brief increase in popularity during the mid- to late-1800s with the influx of German immigrants to the US and Peru. It is likely to remain common in these regions going forward, although it is not amongst the most popular of surnames in any country.

Variations of the surname Krebs

The surname Krebs is one of the oldest Germanic surnames with a rich and varied heritage. It can have different variants and spellings such as Kress, Krabs and Krep.

The Germanic surname Krebs can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is derived from a short form of the personal name Kristopher, which means ‘carrying Christ’. Historically, the surname has been common in the provinces of Bavaria and Thuringia.

Krep is another variant of the surname Krebs, and is an ancient Central German version. It is said to derive from the word ‘krippen’, meaning the mangers in which Jesus was placed after his birth.

Other variants of Krebs include Kraps and Krabs, which are derived from the same ancient Germanic root and share the same meaning. Kraps is a more commonly found variant in Southern Germany and Austria, while Krabs is found in Prussia and the Czech Republic.

Kreft is another surname that has similar roots to Krebs, and is an occupational surname derived from a profession such as a scribe or writer. This version of the surname was often found in South Western Germany and is derived from the German word ‘Kraft’, which means strength or courage.

Kreke is another variant of the surname Krebs, which evolved after the 13th century and is commonly found in northern Germany. The surname derived from the Low German word ‘Kriken’, which means to scratch or scrape.

All these variants and surnames derive from the same ancient root and, although there are subtle differences, have the same meaning.

Famous people with the name Krebs

• Johann Ludwig Krebs: (1713–1780) was a German organist, composer and teacher.
• Hans Adolf Krebs: (1900–1981) was a German-born British physician and biochemist.
• Joachim Krebs: (1951–2007) was a German singer and musician.
• Otto Heinrich Krebs: (1827-1902) was a German physician and a member of the renowned Krebs family of scientists.
• Maurice Krebs: (1918–2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, medical doctor, and Antarctic explorer.
• Ulrich Krebs: (born 1952) is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament.
• Fritz Krebs: (1912–1984) was a German SS officer and a commander of the 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord".
• Konrad Emil Bloch: (1912–2000) was a German-American biochemist. He was one of two winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1965, for his work on the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.
• Edzard Krebs: (born 1964) is a German historian with a focus of modern and contemporary history.
• Walter H. Krebs: (1820–1895) was the second mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1862 to 1865.

Other surnames

KrebesKrebihilKrebilKrebillKrebleKrebsbachKrebserKrebszKrebull