Can anyone tell me what the surname KEHL means? My daughter is writing a heritage report and we thought we would start with the meaning. Thanks for any and all help. We know John Kehl served in the Civil War. Co. A, 26th infantry 1862. He served for 3 years. Age 23. Discharged 1865.
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Hi, glad to hear people are still doing research on the Kehl's.
As far as I can trace my Kehl's back we're from Russia, where i've received conflicting information on the meaning of the name.
I've heard that Kehl was the name of a small Town or Village there in Russia. but the literal Translation is something akin to "Throat of the Valley" or of A valley.
I haven't been able to find evidence of a town or village with that name, but im assuming that it was a Town or such situated in a valley. Because my fathers side of the family says that they lived in the Town of Kehl.
I could be wrong, and I dont know for sure, but I hope this helps.
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BTW, feel free to Email me at SteveRKehl@hotmail.com might be faster then the board here, seeing as I dont get a chance to check it as often as i'd like to :-)
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My understanding from my Kehls is that Kehl means cabbage as in kale.Look at German name site to find meanings of surnames.
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Hello all, I realize this reply is 6 months later than the query but for those who still are interested I found there is a small town by the name of 'Kehl' on a railway line just south of Strasburg. check FEEFHS Map Room: German Empire-West (1882) Alsace-Loraine. http://feefhs.org/maps/gerw/gw-alsac.html
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I have never seen anyone else researching the Zulsdorf surname. I am very interested in communicating with you and will share what I have. I hope to hear from you. Denise Ratterman Jackson, the 2nd great granddaughter of William Zulsdorf. Thanks.
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I think you have mistaken Prussia for Russia. My Kehl ancestry came from former Prussia or modern day Germany. And yes Kehl is a city across the river from Strausburg on the southwest border of Germany.
In German, Kehl literally means throat.
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I have to agree with the Prussia not Russia comment. My Kehls come from what was Prussia, specifically Pomerania (Pommern), from a city that was then called Stettin. This area is now western Poland and the city name is something like Sceczin.
Anyway I've done some research on Kehl and speak some German. The poster above is correct that the German word for throat is Kehl (pronounced like kale) cabbage is Kohl (pronounced like coal) as in coleslaw. The two options for meaning I've seen over the years are either a valley (that is throat like I guess) or that it refers to someone who had something distinctive about his throat (a low voice, goiter, etc.). By the way, despite the correct German pronounciation, my family pronounces it keel,like on a boat. Why I'm not sure, although I suspect my great grandfather got tired of telling people how to pronounce it.
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There is also the English word Kale ( cabbage )which sounds familiar with the pronunciation for Kehl.Its possible they saw this word when they learned English and thought that was where their family name came from? I have also seen the name spelled Kähl and Keil in Hungary.My wifes family lived in Hungary and Yugoslavia for 200 years. They pronounced the name in Hessen dialect as Kell.I have never been able to find the origins of their Kehl family,but some people say they came from Baden-Wurttemburg area.
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My mother, who was from Gelnhausen Germany, said that it was pronounced 'Kell', for what that's worth. ;-) Perhaps differing pronunciations indicate different origins for the families with that name...?
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