Surname Kessinger - Meaning and Origin
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Kessinger: What does the surname Kessinger mean?
The surname Kessinger is of German origin. It is believed to derive from the word "Kessler," which can mean "innkeeper" or "manager of an estate," as well as from the word "keisser," meaning "village mayor." The earliest known bearer of the surname began living in the German area of Baden in around the 12th century.
Due to the high concentration of Kessinger's in Baden, it's fast becoming one of the commonest surnames in Germany. Many Kessinger's made the journey to America from Germany, beginning in the 1700’s. It’s known that many immigrants from Germany used the spelling of Kessinger when translating their German name.
It’s often said that the name stands for persistence and determination, with many Kessinger’s striving for success in life. For example, Kip Kessinger, the great-grandson of a 19th-century German immigrant, went on to become a professor and author of numerous literature pieces.
The surname Kessinger also brings memories of family, time spent with our loved ones, and the unique heritage that comes along with it. Though belonging to a large, widespread community, many strong values and customs have been kept alive in Kessinger families throughout time, including the importance of education, work ethic, and maintaining close relationships.
Order DNA origin analysisKessinger: Where does the name Kessinger come from?
The last name Kessinger is most common today in the United States and Germany. In the United States, there are more than 8,000 people bearing the Kessinger surname, mostly concentrated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Kessinger is among the top 1,000 most common surnames in the US.
In Germany, the surname Kessinger is most common in the Bavaria region, with roughly 1,000 people sharing the name. It is also found among cities along the Rhine River, such as Mainz, Kaiserslautern, and Mannheim. Kessinger is among the top 10,000 most common surnames in Germany.
The German origin of the surname Kessinger is assumed to come from a personal name “Kessin,” which is derived from “Kessinus” or “Kaessin” meaning “long haired” or “luxuriantly tressed.” The earliest known use of the surname in Germany is dated about 1300.
Kessinger families found in the United States today trace their roots back as far as the early 1700s, where they likely immigrated from Germany or Switzerland. The Kessinger family name continued to spread throughout the United States until it became one of the most widely-distributed in the nation.
Variations of the surname Kessinger
The surname Kessinger is a German and Ashkenazi Jewish name that derives from the old German word "Kessing" meaning "potter" or "mug maker", similar to the Yiddish word "Kessingin" meaning "pottery". Variations and alternate spellings of the surname Kessinger include Keßinger, Kaessinger, Kaeßinger, Kasinger, Kaysinger, Kauffsinger, Kauschinger, Keischinger, and Kezinger, as well as three alternate surnames of similar origin: Kaschinger, Kuschinger, and Kössinger. These variants are all reflective of the original potting-centric meaning of the name.
Kessinger is also a Chaucerian spelling of the name Kesingere, which itself is an Anglicized version of a French surname, originally originating from a French word meaning a servant or hireling. This French line of the surname is unrelated to the German Kessinger surname.
The German Kessinger surname is sometimes anglicized to Kisinger, Kisinger, Kisinger, Kisinger, Kisinger, Kissenger, Kisinger or Kisinger, although some descendants of this line may choose to retain the original German version of the name. Similarly, the French/Chaucerian version may be anglicized to Kessler, Kezinger, Kesinger, Keycinger, Keysinger, Keyser or Keyssinger.
Today, the Kessinger surname is widely spread throughout Europe and the United States. In the United States, the most common variant of the Kessinger surname is Kessinger, with an estimated 10,000 people in the US having this name in 2019.
Famous people with the name Kessinger
- David Kessinger, American baseball infielder
- Molly Kessinger, American actress
- Christopher Kessinger, American author
- H. H. Kessinger, American federal judge
- Clarke Kessinger, American fiddler
- Jim Kessinger, American basketball coach
- Abraham Kessinger, American politician
- Elizabeth Kessinger, American artist
- Wayne Kessinger, American politician
- Ronald Kessinger, American university administrator
- Peaches Kessinger, American Personal Coach
- William Kessinger, American physicist
- Edwin Kessinger, American artist
- Rebecca Kessinger, American photographer
- Tim Kessinger, American politician
- Nelson Kessinger, American soldier
- Peggy Kessinger, American singer
- Francis Kessinger, American lawyer
- George Kessinger, American painter
- Craig Kessinger, American baseball player