Surname Kießling - Meaning and Origin

The Weight of the Name Kießling: Exploring Personal Significance through iGENEA DNA Test Results

The iGENEA DNA test shifted my perception of the surname Kießling from being merely a familial label to a symbol imbued with historical, genealogical, and communal resonance. This perspective was influenced both by the discovery of a wider link to various regions across Europe and the revelation of ethnicities beyond our known family history—inspiring a deeper appreciation for the complexity of human identity.

D. Kießling

Kießling: What does the surname Kießling mean?

The last name Kießling is of Germanic origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word 'kiesel' which means 'Ore'. The name likely originated as a reference to the profession of ore smelting, or working with ore in some way. The name is also commonly found in Austria and Switzerland, although it is most common in the regions of Germany.

The name Kießling can be broken down into two parts: the prefix 'Kies' and the suffix 'ling'. The prefix 'Kies' can be translated to mean ore, as mentioned above, while the suffix 'Ling' refers to the profession of ore smelting. The combination of these two terms gives an indication of what the name may have originally meant, with the people who called themselves Kießling likely having been 23 ore smelters in some form or another.

Individuals with the last name Kießling are most likely descendants of the many miners and ore smelters that were found in the region centuries ago. It is likely then, that the individuals are proud of their ancestry and the hard work that their ancestors contributed to the development and growth of the area.

As such, the last name Kießling has come to represent a proud history and a link to the industrious past of Germany and its surrounding regions. The name has become a symbol of hard work, success and the overcoming of difficult challenges.

Kießling: Where does the name Kießling come from?

The last name Kießling is most commonly found in eastern Germany, particularly the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg. It also appears to be less common in some other former East German states, including Bavaria and Saxony. Historically, the last name has been largely associated with eastern Germany, but today it can be found across Europe, and even in North America and Australia.

The last name Kießling is a derived from a German word meaning “little potsherd”, suggesting the early holders of the name may have been potters. This is also suggested by the fact that the name is found in pottery regions along the banks of the River Saale and in areas of Saxony-Anhalt associated with early ceramic crafts during the Middle Ages, including Naumburg, Schleiz and Wohlmirstedt.

The last name is particularly common in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where it ranked 14th by number of occurrences in a study of surnames in the region during 1996 - 2013. Today, it is estimated that around 130,000 people with the name Kießling reside in Germany, with clusters found across the country’s former east. The greatest concentration of Kießlings is still found in the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg, however, with the highest frequency by far in the latter.

Outside of Germany, the name is particularly common in Bavarian-speaking regions of Austria, as well as in the German-speaking areas of both Switzerland and Luxembourg. There are also numerous people with the name Kießling living in parts of the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and South Africa.

Variations of the surname Kießling

The surname Kießling has a range of possible variants, spellings and alternative surnames.

The most common form of the surname is Kieling and its variants are Kießling, Kielerling, Kieöling, Kiebling, Kielerlein and Kielle. Other variations of the name include Kielingh, Kiehling, Keyseling, Kießel, Küseling, Quießling and Kiesel.

The surname is a habitational name, taken on from the place name Kießling, now a part of the town of Wolframs-Eschenbach in Bavaria. The name of the place comes from the Old German word, “Kißelín”, and was known as “Kißelim” in 860.

In the Netherlands, the variants are Keijsling and Kiesling. This is likely the result of the Dutch spelling of the name, which omits the German ‘ß’ and replaces it with ‘ij’ or ‘y’. In other parts of Europe, the surname Keussling is also popular.

This name is also one of the Germanic names for a roving warrior, derived from the Old German personal name “Kiltsil”.

The Czech spelling of Kießling for the surname indicates a clear Czech ancestry for those with the surname. Moreover, in Kentucky, the United States, the form of the name changed to Keysling, which may be from a combination of the German Kießling and the Dutch Keijsling.

In summary, the variants, spellings and surnames of Kießling include Kieling, Kießling, Kielerling, Kieöling, Kiebling, Kielle, Kielingh, Kiehling, Keyseling, Kießel, Küseling, Quießling, Kiesel, Keijsling, Kiesling and Keysling.

Famous people with the name Kießling

• Timo Kießling: German entrepreneur and Founder of Stryking Entertainment.
• Thomas Kießling: German former footballer who has played for clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Bochum.
• Max Kießling: German footballer who represented Rot-Weiß Essen.
• Stephen Kießling: German footballer, currently playing for SV Wacker Burghausen in the Regionalliga Bayern.
• Klaus Kießling: German actor who has starred in movies such as The Tin Drum, The Boat, and The Marriage of Maria Braun.
• Armin Kießling: German runner who won a bronze medal for the 3000 metre steeplechase in the 1962 European Athletics Championships.
• Steffen Kießling: German former footballer who played for clubs such as TSV Schott Mainz and FC Hennef 05.
• Robert Kießling: German actor who has appeared in movies such as The Baader Meinhof Complex.
• Dieter Kießling: German composer and arranger who has worked with renowned orchestras and artists such as the Berlin Philharmonic and Juliane Banse.
• Bert Kießling: German composer, known for his song "Kieler Woche".
• Tessa Kießling: German actress known for her role on the TV show Bettys Diagnose.
• Günter Kießling: German former footballer who played for clubs such as Wismut Aue and VfR Neumarkt.
• Klaus-Peter Kießling: German former footballer and manager, who represented clubs such as TuS Schilde and Rot-Weiss Essen.
• Egon Kießling: German television presenter and former footballer, who represented clubs such as TSV 1860 München and VfL Wolfsburg.
• Pia Kießling: German entrepreneur, Founder and Managing Director of Utbildungspotentiale.
• Adolf Kießling: German composer, instrumentalist, music director and teacher, known for his Großes deutsches Clarinett-Konzert.
• Lothar Kießling: German athlete, who won the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 m relay at the 1950 and 1954 European Athletic Championships.
• Hermann Kießling: German former footballer who played for clubs such as VfL Pinneberg and VfL Wolfsburg.
• Michael Kießling: German composer and arranger who has written songs for various German TV shows.
• Britta Kießling: German actress and filmmaker, known for her involvement in productions such as Das Glück der kleinen Dinge and Der Duft der Sommernacht.

Other surnames

Kießlinger