Surname von Poppe - Meaning and Origin
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von Poppe: What does the surname von Poppe mean?
The last name von Poppe is a German and Dutch surname with roots in the medieval name Poppe. It derives from the Middle Dutch word ‘Poppe’, which was originally used in reference to ‘Pop!’, a nickname applied to an individual with the given name Poppo or Poppen. The addition of ‘von’ to the surname von Poppe references a person’s geographic origin or nobility. Specifically, ‘von’ is used in reference to a person belonging to the lesser nobility, having origins in the Middle Low German word ‘von’, meaning ‘from’. Originally, the von Poppe surname was used as a commentator on a person’s physical stature, or in other words, an individual described as ‘little’.
The von Poppe surname appears in Paullus Poppo Willem von Poppe , a Dutch television actor. In addition to being the name of a well-known public figure, the von Poppe surname also appears in several currency notes as a homage to those that have contributed to Dutch culture.
In contemporary societies, the last name von Poppe is associated with a person of German origin, more specifically a person who is part of the lesser nobility. Despite having a rich history of origins, the von Poppe surname currently expresses a person’s allegiance to their German heritage and pays homage to those who have contributed to the same.
Order DNA origin analysisvon Poppe: Where does the name von Poppe come from?
The last name von Poppe is most commonly found in Germany today. In the most recent population survey, it was found that there were approximately 11,464 people with the surname von Poppe living in Germany, making it the 37th most common last name in the country.
The origin of the name is connected to German nobility from the Middle Ages, as members of the Poppe family were among the first to receive noble titles from the Holy Roman Emperor. The von Poppe name is also found elsewhere in Europe, mainly in countries near Germany's borders, like Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
The von Poppe name can also be found outside of Europe, particularly in the United States. It is estimated that over 2,000 people with the surname von Poppe currently live in the US, primarily in the states of California, Texas, and Florida.
Interestingly, a large number of people in Ethiopia also bear the name von Poppe, likely due to the influence of German forces during the Second World War.
The presence of the von Poppe surname in Ethiopia persists to this day, and is usually due to intermarriage between German expatriates and locals. In recent years, those with the von Poppe surname in Ethiopia formed an organization called the Poppe-Ethiopia Society, which seeks to provide assistance to the Ethiopian von Poppe community.
Variations of the surname von Poppe
The surname von Poppe originated in medieval Germany and can be found in records dating as early as the 14th century. Von Poppe is believed to have first been used as a name indicating the person from the city of Poppen, which is located in Holstein, Germany.
Von Poppe is a variant of the name Poppe and is also spelled as von Poppen or Von Poppen. It can also be found in the forms Popp, Poppe, von Popp, von Poppe, von Poep, von Poepen, van Poppe, van Poppen and Poph.
In surnames such as Poppe, Poppen or even Popp, the root stem ‘poeppel’ indicates that the bearer of the name was from the city of Poppen. In the case of von Poppe, the moniker indicates that the person was of noble or aristocratic descent, most likely from Poppen in northern Germany.
There are also foreign versions of the surname such as Popesco in Romania and Popesku in Macedonia. Overall, the Poppe and Poppen family names indicate descent from Poppen, and it is possible that in some cases, the name was also adapted to fit the language of the area in which the family settled.
Famous people with the name von Poppe
- Wolf von Poppe: Wolf von Poppe was a well-known German actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his leading role in the 1971 film Die Verlorene Zeit.
- Hermann von Poppe: Hermann von Poppe was a famous German author, journalist, and critic. He is best known for his works on dramatic literature, among which ‘Shakespearean Dramas’ and ‘The Opera in Germany’ are the most well known.
- Joseph von Poppe: Joseph von Poppe was an Austrian zoologist and evolutionary biologist who worked as a professor at the Natural History Museum in Vienna. He was a specialist in the evolution of crustaceans and is credited with developing a newly defined theory of evolution.
- Ludwig von Poppe: Ludwig von Poppe was a German jurist and legal scholar who specialized in criminal law, public law, and constitutional law. He was a professor at the University of Münster and headed a commission on criminal law reform of the German Reich.
- Edwin von Poppe: Edwin von Poppe was an Austrian mountaineer. He is best known for his first ascents of 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps, as well as for his international mountaineering awards and political activities for German-Austrian unity throughout the early 20th century.
- Walter von Poppe: Walter von Poppe was a German aviator and state official who played a major role in early German aviation. He was President of the International Flying Commission, President of the Luftsportbund, and a director of the Reich’s Air Ministry.