Surname Gansel - Meaning and Origin
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Gansel: What does the surname Gansel mean?
The last name Gansel is a German surname. It is derived from the combination of two words "gander" and "scel" which when combined mean “farm” or “sing”. It is thought to be a locational name, belonging to someone from a place called Gansel, which is derived from an Old High German word meaning either “border” or “boundary”. It is possible that the surname may have originated from someone living or working near such a geographic boundary.
Today, the surname Gansel is still found mostly in in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, though it has spread to other countries through immigration. It is likely that many people with the surname are descendants of German and Swiss settlers who moved to various places throughout the world. In the United States, the Gansel surname is found in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia, and Texas.
In terms of its meaning, the Gansel surname could represent a farm or a boundary. Perhaps those with the surname were early farmers who marked the borders of their lands. The surname may also live on to remind future generations of the spirit of exploration and resettlement of those with the surname who left Germany and Switzerland to follow new opportunities in other countries.
Order DNA origin analysisGansel: Where does the name Gansel come from?
The last name Gansel is a German surname originally derived from the personal name Ganzo which means “bold” or “adventurous”. Today the name is found mainly in Germany, with a noticeable presence in the northern Bundesländer, including Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Hamburg. There are also some Gansels that have emigrated from Germany to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In Germany, records of the last name Gansel dates back to 1561 in Sielbeck located within lower Saxony. Additional records suggest that it was also present in the nearby town of Uelzen as early as the 1400s. Over the years, surrounding villages spread the family name further as members moved around and established communities in other areas of northern Germany.
Today, most people who bear the Gansel name continue to live in and around northern Germany. Additionally, areas where this surname is commonly found include East and West Frisia, Thuringia, Hesse, Brandenburg, and Bavaria. A smaller number of Gansels now live in abroad in America, Canada, and Australia, with more emigrating to these countries every year.
Variations of the surname Gansel
Gansel is a very old surname of German origin, deriving from the personal name Gans meaning “goose”. It is thought to have been used as a nickname given to a person who either resembled a goose or who worked with geese in some capacity.
Variants and spellings of Gansel include Gamsel, Ganseline, Ganslein, Gansley, Ganslin, Gansle, Gansleight, Gansling, Ganslie, and Ganslingt.
Common surnames of the same origin include: Gans, Ganser, Gansmann, Gansmann, Gansler, Ganske, Gouslin, Gansl, Ganslin, Ganslut, Gansner, Gansse, and Gausman. All of these surnames are ultimately derived from the German word “Gans”, meaning goose.
Gansel is an uncommon surname, but there are some people who still bear it or its variants today. For example, the German physicist and physicist-engineer Hans Gansel (1922-2006) was a distinguished professor at University of Heidelberg and was an expert in robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence. Additionally, Dutch musician Jan Gans (1890-1972) was a clarinet and saxophonist who led the Jan Gans sextet in Amsterdam in the mid-20th century.
To this day, there are still families that bear the surname Gansel, and its variants, in countries where German is spoken.
Famous people with the name Gansel
- Lars Gansel: Danish actor
- Panajot Gansël: Albanian Albanologist
- Paul Gansel: German astronomer
- Holger Gansel: German historian
- Ann Gansel: German sprinter
- Anne Gansel: German Paralympic swimmer
- Michael Gansel: German casting director
- Marit Gansel: German television producer
- Moritz Gansel: German ice hockey player
- Werner Gansel: German boxer
- Elisabeth Gansel: German fencer
- Ingeborg Gansel: German biologist
- Ernst Wilhelm Gansel: German politician
- Rudolph Gansel: German football player
- Herbert Gansel: German aerospace engineer
- Günter Gansel: German physician
- Wolfgang Gansel: German engineer
- Hans Gansel: German lawyer
- Heinrich Von Gansel: Prussian noble
- Max Gansel: German agricultural scientist.