Surname Gutkuhn - Meaning and Origin
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Gutkuhn: What does the surname Gutkuhn mean?
The last name Gutkuhn is believed to be a habitational name, stemming from a place in East Prussia called Gutkehnen which is thought to have been named after a family who had their ancestral home there. The surname is of Slavic origin and its literal translation means 'strawberry fields'. It is thought to have derived from the combined words 'gud' (strawberry) and 'khun' (field).
The Gutkuhn surname has had various spellings throughout the years, as it was recorded throughout East Prussia, Lithuania and the Folgerland. The Gutkuhn name is found in the US states of Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, and California.
Throughout history, the Gutkuhn surname has been associated with professions such as shoemakers, bakers and farmers. Today, many people who have the last name Gutkuhn reside in Germany and other parts of Europe.
In addition to its meaning, the last name Gutkuhn is also noted in history for being part of a cadet branch of a prominent Prussian family; a line of which has the name Gutkehnen. This family's plethora of military, religious service and nobility made them an important part of Prussian and European history. Their most celebrated member, however, was a self-made physician, soldier and author who served both in the Napoleonic Wars and the 1813-1814 Campaign in Germany, where he supported the Prussian army.
The surname Gutkuhn today remains a proud symbol of East Prussian and European heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisGutkuhn: Where does the name Gutkuhn come from?
The last name Gutkuhn is commonly found today in Germany, since it is a German name. According to Ancestry.com, it ranks in the top 1000 last name list in Germany and is particularly popular in the state of Thüringen.
In the United States, the name Gutkuhn is also somewhat common.It ranks as the 24,886th most common last name in the United States, with an estimated 2,767 Americans bearing the name. It is most prominent in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
The coat of arms of Gutkuhn is a pressed shield with a black skylark on it. The skylark is a symbol of happiness. Legend has it that the surname Gutkuhn comes from the German phrase"Gut kuhnen," which translates to "good courage." It is thought to describe someone who has courage or a brave heart.
It is not known exactly how old the name Gutkuhn is, but it is likely to have come about around the 1600s. The Gutkuhns were an old family of German aristocrats who were most likely of the lower nobility class. The coat of arms further supports the idea of the family's lower nobility status.
Today, the name Gutkuhn is still connected to Germany, and many of those who carry this name have roots in that country. No matter where the name is found today, it continues to honor the courage and strength of character of the original Gutkuhn of old.
Variations of the surname Gutkuhn
The surname Gutkuhn is derived from the pre 7th century German given name Godeke, and is an occupational name for a gild clerk or guild municipal officer. The surname is primarily found in Germany, with variants of Gutkuhn being Gutke, Gutknecht, Gutkehne and Gutkehn.
Gutkuhn is a variation of the Germanic surname Goodwin, which is composed of the elements "good" and "win" and is an ethnic name for one who had come from 'the good win', meaning a successful trader or someone who had become well off.
The variants of Gutkuhn in differing spellings include Gotkhun, Gotkuhn, Gotkehn, Gottkuhn, Gottkehn, Gotknecht, Gootkuhn and GODKUHN.
In the Netherlands, Gutkuhn is also commonly found in the surname forms Goddeke, Godeknecht and Goddeknecht.
In the United States, some of the most common variations of Gutkuhn include GODKIN, GOODKIN, GOULDKIN, GOODKINE, GOULDKINE, GOODKINES, GODINO, GOODKINS, GOULDKINS, GOULDKINE, GOODKNIGHT, GOTKIN and GUTKIN.
Variants of Gutkuhn in other languages include Gutke (Polish), Gotkone (Slovenian), Gutkevič (Croatian), Gutkind (Russian), Gutknecht (Hungarian) and Gudkina (Bulgarian).
Many of these variants have been anglicised or localised to accommodate the languages in which they were adopted and these include variations such as Guglielmo, Gudecke, Gotko and Gudkin.
Famous people with the name Gutkuhn
- Jake Gutknecht: professional basketball player
- Robert Gutknecht: renowned tight-end who played in the NFL from 1976-1983
- Clifford Gutknecht: former mayor of St. Paul Minnesota
- Louis Gutknecht: German professor and politician
- Richard C. Gutknecht: former Member of Parliament in Luxembourg
- Torsten Gutknecht: German physicist and evolutionist
- Angie Gutknecht: author and counselor
- Michael Gutknecht: German artist, sculptor and art professor
- Stefan Gutknecht: Swiss entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist
- Fred Gutknecht: American football coach