Surname Richnagel - Meaning and Origin
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Richnagel: What does the surname Richnagel mean?
The surname Richnagel is of German origin. It is derived from two elements “ric” and “nagel”. “Ric” can be associated with being wealthy or powerful and “nagel” might refer to "nail". Like many European surnames, it could have been a nickname or occupational surname, maybe portraying someone strong as a nail or perhaps related to occupation like a blacksmith or a carpenter. However, the exact historical meaning is unclear and subject to different interpretations. The surname is not very common and is mainly found among European or German descendants.
Order DNA origin analysisRichnagel: Where does the name Richnagel come from?
The last name Richnagel is mainly found in Central and Eastern Europe today. The name originated in Germany as a sobriquet for someone from a rich, noble family, and also as occupational name for a rich steward. It is most commonly found in eastern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic as well as countries in the former Austro-Hungarian and Prussian Empires. The name is also found in Yiddish-speaking communities around the world, such as the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Israel. Within the US, the largest concentrations of people with this last name are located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Michigan, and Virginia.
Variations of the name include Richnagle, Riknagle, Riechnagel, Richneggel, Richnogel, Richnogal, Richtneckle, and Richneckle. It may also appear in the spelling of Richnegel or Richnagel. As a result of emigration, people bearing this name can now be found around the world.
Variations of the surname Richnagel
The Richnagel surname has many different variations, spellings, and even surnames of the same origin. The most common spellings are Richnagle, Richnagel, Richneagle, Richneagel, Richenagel, Richanagel, Rhineagel, and Rheinagel. The other surnames of the same origin are Reichnagle, Reichnagel, Reichel, Reichelt, Rineeagle, Reitterer, Raichle, Rockenbauer, Steinebacher, and Steinbacher.
Richnagel is a German surname that emerged centuries ago. The literal meaning of the name is “king’s promise”. It is derived from the German words "rech" and "Angel", which mean "promise" and "messenger". The addition of the prefix “richen” made the term more descriptive of the king’s promise. Many people with the surname Richnagel settle in states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia in the United States.
Although the spelling variations may seem minor, they can make a big difference in locating records of ancestors. To find all the records of a particular ancestor, researchers should use all possible spellings to widen their search. For example, if records are searched only under Richnagel and not Richnagle, some documents may be missed. To avoid this, it is important to include all possible spellings and variations when looking for records of the Richnagel surname.
Famous people with the name Richnagel
- Christopher Richnagel: Composer and professor of music. He is well known for his POSTROMANTISCHE MUSIK UND KLANGKUNST project.
- James Richnagel: Award-winning film director, editor and cinematographer whose work has appeared on Netflix, HBO and Showtime.
- Otto Richnagel: German watercolor painter whose work was praised for its use of light and color.
- Robert Richnagel: CEO of Liberty Media Corporation and former CEO of Cablevision Systems.
- William Richnagel: A Canadian lawyer, he is the former president and acting CEO of the National Hockey League Players’ Association.
- Tim Richnagel: Award-winning television and motion picture producer based in Los Angeles. His credits include the movie Herbie: Fully Loaded and TV shows such as Shear Madness.
- Ken Richnagel: Professional hockey player from Toronto, he is a longtime member of the Canadian national hockey team.
- Shaw Richnagel: Emmy Award winning stage and film actor, he is known for playing the villainous roles in films like The High Road to China and The Blue Dolphin.
- Nicole Richnagel: Notable Broadway actress, she obtained her first major Broadway role in the original Broadway production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
- Andrew Richnagel: Established trumpet player and jazz artist, he has toured the United States and internationally with many bands and currently teaches jazz at DePaul University.