Surname Rappelt - Meaning and Origin
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Rappelt: What does the surname Rappelt mean?
The origin and meaning of the surname Rappelt is found in the language of German. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "rappel" which means "thrashing." This suggests that the surname was initially used to distinguish a person who was known for threshing grain or flax. This could have been someone who worked in an agricultural setting and had a reputation for being a good thrasher.
The surname Rappelt may also have been used by persons born near a body of water or along a stream - another meaning of the Middle High German word "rappel" is "flowing water." This could mean that someone with the surname Rappelt originally hailed from a place with a river or stream nearby.
The origin of the name Rappelt is also associated with a village in the south German region of Schwaben. This could suggest that at some point in the past, a family from the village or with ties to the village may have adopted the name Rappelt. This same village has a nearby castle called Rappellenstein, which could also have played a role in the creation of the Rappelt surname.
No matter the original origin of the surname, the name Rappelt likely represents a family's ties to German culture and their strong connection to the land in some way. The word itself has a strong meaning that embodies hard work and a dedication to providing food for oneself and one's family.
Order DNA origin analysisRappelt: Where does the name Rappelt come from?
Today, the last name Rappelt can be found in various countries across the world. The countries with the highest occurrence of the name are Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Austria. The surname Rappelt has German origins and is derived from a variant of the personal name Raphael, meaning “God has healed”. It is therefore most commonly found in German-speaking countries.
In Germany, the surname can be found mostly in the southern region, in particular around the ancient Roman settlement of Bamberg in Bavaria. In 2020, there were 358 registered bearers of the surname in the German telephone directory, with concentrations in the states of Saxony, Hamburg, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
In Switzerland, the name was first recorded in the 13th century. By 2020, there were 184 people with this surname listed in the Swiss telephone directory, with the highest concentrations in Geneva, Zurich, and Basel.
In the Netherlands, the name was first recorded in the 16th century, and there were 59 people registered with the name in 2020, with the highest concentrations in the provinces of Zeeland and Noord-Holland.
Overall, the surname Rappelt is most commonly found in German-speaking countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Austria.
Variations of the surname Rappelt
Rappelt is a toponymic surname originating from regions of Austria and Germany. It is derived from the German word 'Rappe', which means a gray or hoary colour. Consequently, the surname Rappelt is primarily derived from those individuals who lived in or around a location which was known for this distinctive grey or hoary colour.
Variants of the surname Rappelt include Roppelt, Rapelt, Roppel, Raipel and Rappl. The Austrian variant of the surname is Rapel. It is also found in German spellings such as Rappel and Roppel.
The surname Rappelt sometimes appears with a double 'p' (e.g. Rapppell, Rapppellt or Rapppelt). While this is not a standard spelling of the surname, it may be encountered from time to time.
Variants of the Rappelt surname can also be found in other languages and cultures. These include Roppolo (Italian), Rapoport (Russian) and Ropley (English).
The surname Rappelt can also appear as a single word or in combination with other words. Examples of these include Rappeltorff (German for 'house of Rappelt'), Rappelsberg (German for 'hill of Rappelt') and Rappelmann (German for 'man of Rappelt').
Famous people with the name Rappelt
- Matthew Rappelt, Australian judoka, who won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and finished in fifth place at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Philipp Rappelt, German footballer who plays for Greuther Fürth
- Otmar Rappelt, an Austrian decathlete
- Klaus Rappelt, German bobsledder who won a silver medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics
- Phillip G. Rappelt, US Air Force general
- Katrin Rappelt, German FIS Alpine Ski World Cup racer
- Fernande Anne Rappelt, a German actress
- Christian Emil Henrik Rappelt, a Norwegian historian
- Harald Rappelt, a former German Olympic luger
- Adolf Hermann Rappelt, a German lighthouse keeper and ship captain