Surname Schwarzkopp - Meaning and Origin
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Schwarzkopp: What does the surname Schwarzkopp mean?
The last name Schwarzkopp is of German origin and is derived from medieval German language. It is composed of two elements: “Schwarz” meaning black and “kopp” meaning head or top. Together, Schwarzkopp literally means “black top” or "black head". The surname is most likely to have emerged as an identifying nickname for a person who was particularly dark-haired or –skinned, and most common among those living in southern Germany.
Schwarzkopp is the 44,400th most common surname in the world; approximately 2,757 people bear this surname as of 2020. Most people with the surname Schwarzkopp reside in Germany, and to a lesser extent, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Canada.
In early German records, many variant spellings of the surname Schwarzkopp are found, indicating that scribes and church officials often spelled according to its sound rather than any set of rules. Some variants of the surname include Schwarzcopp, Schwarzeopp and Scharskopp.
Despite its relative rarity, the protective power of the surname Schwarzkopp is still within reach. It serves as a link connecting the modern-day bearer of the name to its German cultural roots. The surname Schwarzkopp gives an insight into the family, and the life of a person, that you can’t discern from a first name alone.
Order DNA origin analysisSchwarzkopp: Where does the name Schwarzkopp come from?
The last name Schwarzkopp is most commonly found in the German speaking areas of Europe today, primarily in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Although the surname is uncommon, this does not mean that it has not spread far from its original geographic origins.
In Germany, Schwarzkopp is most associated with the western states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria. It is also now quite common in the metropolitan areas of Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Köln, and Munich.
The surname has also been increasingly observed in other parts of Europe. In Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic, Schwarzkopp is present in small family populations. Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain have also seen a rise in its presence, and Schwarzkopp can be encountered occasionally in the UK as well.
Outside of Europe, there is a Jewish presence of the Schwarzkopp surname in Israel and the Americas. It arrived in the United States with German immigrants in the 19th century and is especially popular in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
In Canada the surname is most common in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. The spread of the Schwarzkopp family name is indicative of the expansive nature of German migration and the opportunities for settlement that it has created all over the world.
Variations of the surname Schwarzkopp
The surname Schwarzkopp is a german-origin surname meaning “black head”. The variants and alternate spellings of Schwarzkopp include Schwarzkopf, Scharzkopf, Scharzkopp, Schwarzkoph, Scharzkoph, Scharzkoff and Schwarzkoff.
The surnames Schorzkopp and Kaliski are possible variants, but have different origins.
There are also Germanized versions of Schwarzkopp such as Schwarzenkopf, Schwarzenkopf, Scharzenkopf, Scharzenkopf, Scharzenkoff and Schwarzenkoff.
Variants and alternate surnames of Schwarzkopp can appear in different forms in other languages based on the language’s native spelling. For example, the Spanish surname Escurop, derived from Schwarzkopp, is the Spanish-version of the surname.
In Polish the surname can be spelled Szyszkowicz or Szyszkowiecz, while in Russia it can be spelled Chernyaev or Chernyayev.
In addition to the above variants, other surnames derived from Schwarzkopp, include Scharz-Eck, Scharzen-Knecht, Farber, Zepp and Furst. These surnames all have different origins but were possibly derived from Schwarzkopp originally.
Finally, a small number of Jewish families in Germany have a surname form of Schwarzkopf that was derived from Schwarzkopp.
Famous people with the name Schwarzkopp
- Jack Schwarzkopf: American actor
- Aaron Schwarzkopf: American actor and producer
- Marlene Schwarzkopf: German soprano opera singer
- Dietmar Schwarzkopf: German entrepreneur and CEO
- Hans Schwarzkopf: German hairdressing brand namesake and co-founder
- Hans Schwarzkopf, Jr.: German entrepreneur and CEO of Schwarzkopf family business
- Thomas Schwarzkopf: German Olympic Hockey player
- Peter Schwarzkopf: Austrian ski jumper
- Thilo Schwarzkopf: German mathematician
- Uwe Schwarzkopf: German footballer
- Walter Schwarzkopf: German Olympic swimmer
- Claudine Schwarzkopf: American composer
- Dietrich Schwarzkopf: German lawyer and professor
- Dieter Schwarzkopf: German football and ice hockey coach
- Elfriede Schwarzkopf: German soprano singer of the 20th century
- Fritz Schwarzkopf: German football manager
- Karl Schwarzkopf: German politician and chancellor of the GDR
- Marylyn Schwarzkopf: American novelist
- Michael Schwarzkopf: German geographer
- Wolfgang Schwarzkopf: German footballer