Surname Krämers - Meaning and Origin
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Krämers: What does the surname Krämers mean?
The last name Krämers is a German occupational or status name, probably referring to a merchant, shopkeeper, or trader. It is derived from the Middle High German Kram and Old High German Kremar, both meaning "shopkeeper". The suffix -er, a common diminutive, is found in other German surnames.
The surname is found throughout Germany and is not limited to one region or area. In some areas, such as the Bavarian Alps, it is also a topographical name for someone living near a crossroads, deriving from the Old High German words kreuza (cross) and māre (marsh or small lake).
The Krämers family have also been noted to exist in Austria, Switzerland, and Prussia. Today, the surname is still found across Germany, but also has spread to other countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The oldest recorded usage of the surname Krämers was in 1279, when a man by the name of Kunegundes Krammarerin was noted in the Charters of Landau. The earliest recorded spelling of the family name is Uffner Kremar, which was dated 1345, in the charters of Gottesgab, Pfalz region. An alternate spelling of Krämers is Kramers.
Order DNA origin analysisKrämers: Where does the name Krämers come from?
Krämers is a German last name strongly associated with areas of Germany along the Rhine River, including Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringen. It is one of the most common surnames in Germany, currently with over 27,500 recorded instances.
The name Krämers is derived from the Old German word kramer, meaning a peddler or huckster. It was most common among traders in the middle ages who travelled to trade goods in towns and villages throughout the Rhineland. As it became more common, many of the traders adopted the name Krämers and passed it on to their sons.
Nowadays, there are Krämers living in many different parts of Germany, Europe, and beyond. In Germany, it is particularly common in the cities of Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt, as well as around the river Rhine and its tributaries. In Switzerland, there is a concentration in the Bernese Oberland where the name is often seen in connection with textile traders.
Krämers can also be found in the US, mainly in Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, where it was brought by German immigrants in the 1800s. Additionally, there are further large populations in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada. Wherever their descendants are now, the original Krämers were the merchants and traders whose wanderlust and work ethic forged the global spread of the name.
Variations of the surname Krämers
Krämers is a German and Dutch surname. Variants of this name include Krämmer, Kramers, Kramer, Craemers, Cramers, Cramer, Kremers, and Cremer. Other spellings often associated with this surname are Kramersschmidt, Kremersmann, Krämerskötter, and Kraemers.
Krämers, or its variants, is usually a topographic name, derived from locations where the original bearer lived, or worked, frequently near small merchant shops. The root of the name may also come from the word "kramen," which means "to trade" or “to haggle." Therefore, for a certain period of time, the name may have been associated with those who traded, haggled, or worked in general stores.
The surname is most widespread in Germany, where it is ranked 297th among all surnames. It can also be found in the Netherlands, where the variant Kramers is ranked in the top 100 names. Elsewhere, the surname is not as common, except in countries with a significant Dutch or German diaspora, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In some contexts and dialects, Krämers may also be phonetically transcribed to Karamers, Karasmeyer, and Kremer. It is possible that these are additional spellings for the same surname from alternative regions or dialects. As the use of surnames has evolved over time, with adaptations to different languages and cultures, a variety of spellings for the surname may have occurred.
Famous people with the name Krämers
- Christian Krämer: professional footballer playing for Würzburger Kickers.
- Lisa Krämer: German actress who has starred in several TV series and films for over 20 years.
- Maximilian Krämer: German organist, composer, and conductor from the early 19th century.
- Jens Krämer: German marathon runner and long-distance track athlete who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Claudius Krämer: German lawyer, jurist and politician who served as a member of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen’s House of Nobles from 1815 to 1859.
- Werner Krämer: former German football midfielder who spent his club career with 1.FC Kaiserslautern and SG Wattenbachs Dafter.
- Paul Krämer: German biochemist who did research on nucleoproteins.
- Hans-Paul Krämer: German judge, arbitrator and author focusing on corporate law.
- Gabriel Krämer: German photographer and artist known for his series and installations of images.
- Corinna Krämer: German artist and sculptor whose works often comment on the relationship between everyday life and culture, art, and history.