Surname Packner - Meaning and Origin
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Packner: What does the surname Packner mean?
The origin of the last name Packner is German, and it is thought to have a Jewish background. The name is derived from the German surname “Packer” which was used to refer to a packer or pack animal handler. It could also be a combination of the words “pack” and “er” which means “one who packs”. Alternatively, the name may be a variation of bakker which is German for baker, referring to someone who bakes or packs bread for a living.
Personalities with this surname include Adele Packer, a Canadian artist and former member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and Leon Packner, a German-born fencer who won the silver medal in the team sabre event in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.
The Packner name has evolved over the years, with some families usings spellings such as “Pakner” or “Packer” instead. One thing remains constant, however: the name is a reminder of a family’s strong roots, and its connection to the art of packing.
Order DNA origin analysisPackner: Where does the name Packner come from?
The last name Packner is most commonly found in the United States and Canada today. According to Forebears, a genealogy website that tracks the distribution of surnames, the greatest concentration of people with this surname is in the United States, where it is ranked at 19,369th in terms of population. The states with the most Packner are Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In Canada, the surname is ranked 8,302nd in terms of population, and is most prevalent in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta. The term "Packner" is believed to have originated in Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word packen ("to pack"), or the Old German word pacher ("porter"). Persons with the last name Packner can also be found in the countries of South Africa and Ukraine.
Variations of the surname Packner
The surname Packner has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant is Packer, spelled with one “c” instead of two. Other variants include Paciner, Peckner, Packnaer, Packnair, and Packnera.
The surname Packner probably originated as an occupational name for someone who packs or makes packs, a type of bag made of woven fabric or leather. Packner or Packer could have also been bestowed as a nickname to an individual who carried or packed a great deal, or to one who made heavy use of a feature possessed by a pack animal, such as load-carrying capacity.
Variants of Packner include the German Pachtner and the Dutch Pakker. Other spellings of Packner include the German Packe, Pack, and Pakest, the French Pache and the Dutch and Flemish Paquen.
Surnames with the same origin as Packner include Pedroni, a surname found primarily in Italy; and Packer, Packard, Peckard, Pacard, Packwood, Packewood, and Patchen, all found in Britain. These surnames bring together a variety of cultural influences, as evidenced by the Latin and Germanic roots of the original Packner form.
In conclusion, Packner is a surname with many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Most of these variants and spellings are found across Europe in countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The surname is likely derived from an occupational name and some other surnames of the same origin were likely bestowed as nicknames.
Famous people with the name Packner
- Ann Packner Freedman: co-founder of the international relief organization Doctors of the World and wife of US Secretary of State George Shultz.
- Jacob Packner: professor of mathematics at the University of Southern California.
- Raj Pachner: Indian actor and comedian known for his roles in Bollywood movies such as Hum Tum Aur Ghost and OMG: Oh My God!.
- Stephen Packner: American entrepreneur and co-founder of paintball manufacturer Special Ops Paintball.
- Nat Packner: artist and graphic designer based in Los Angeles, California.
- Larry Packner: former Major League Baseball player and a member of the 1962 Houston Colt .45s.
- Gershon Packner: rabbi and religious leader at Congregation B’nai B’rith in Los Angeles, California.
- Krissy Packner: tennis player from the United States.
- Bruce Packner: Australian physicist and mathematics professor at the University of Sydney.
- Tom Packner: professional photographer and member of the Association of Photographers in the United Kingdom.
- Jasmine Packner: American actress who appeared on the TV show "Friday Night Lights" and in the movie "Step Up".