Family origins are a fascinating subject and worth investigating. Many families can trace their lineage back generations, sometimes deep into medieval history. If the family is preserved well enough the family history can stretch even further, sometimes even to Roman occupation of the Middle East and Europe. Currently, with the vast digital library of information at one's disposal it has never been easier to comb through the sands of history and discover relations and connections.
Origins of the name Kohl
The origins of the name Kohl can be traced through history to the kingdom of Bohemia, now a part of the Czech Republic. The kingdom of Bohemia comprised an area of the Western half of the Czech Republic. In feudal society many people chose their profession as their surname, linking their occupation with their identity. The name Kohl means "cabbage," "cabbage head," or "cabbage farmer." The name "Kohl" can also signify a person that grew or sold cabbage. As far back as the 12th Century, in Germany, the name Kohl was in use.
Regional origins
The name Kohl is found in the Bohemian kingdom as well as the Alemannic dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. Presently it is spoken by approximately ten million people in seven countries including Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland. As found in the Bohemian kingdom the name Kohl means "cabbage" or "cabbage farmer."
Another potential origin of the name Kohl is from the town "Kohlbach" a town in the Freiburg region east of what is today Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. The Baden-Wuerttemberg region is a region in Southern Germany with notable cities such as Stuttgart and Freiburg.
It is important to differentiate the name Kohl from the name Kohler or Koehler. Kohl, as has been established means cabbage. Koehler, or Kohler, means "miner" or specifically "coal miner."
The name Kohl through recent history
The name Kohl appears in immigration records of the United States as far back as 1709, prior to American independence from Great Britain. In 1709 a man by the name of Johann Kohl is listed among the immigrants settling in the Colonies of Great Britain. In 1732 a family of Kohl's settled in the South Carolinian colony.
Notable people of the name Kohl
Notable people include the American singer Chantel Kohl and United States senator Herbert Kohl. In native Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl was the architect of German reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.