Zabel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished German surname Zabel is derived from the Middle High German word "zabel," meaning "board game." The name may have been bestowed as a nickname on the original bearer, who was most likely someone particularly fond of games. Alternatively, Zabel may be a variant of the surname Zobel, a name derived from the Slavic "sobel," meaning "sable fur." In this instance, the name would have been initially borne by a fur trader.

Early Origins of the Zabel family

The surname Zabel was first found in the Rhineland, where it first emerged. The earliest known bearer of the name was Thid. Zabel, who lived in Cologne in 1187. The young Zabel family was instrumental during this early period, playing an important role in the development of the society of the Rhineland.

Early History of the Zabel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Zabel research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1187, 1325, 1358, 1382 and 1441 are included under the topic Early Zabel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zabel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Zabel, Zobel, Tzabels, Tzabel, Zabels, Zobels and many more.

Early Notables of the Zabel family

Notables with the name Zabel during this period were

Kurdz Zabel of Mecklenburg, who was granted a coat of arms in 1358

Zabel Ranking

In the United States, the name Zabel is the 10,396^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Zabel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Zabel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Zabel and his wife Dorothea Luise Muller, "Old Lutherans" from Pomerania who sailed to New York on board the Barque Rainbow in 1843
Christian Zabel, aged 35, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 2
Louise Zabel, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 2
Minna Zabel, aged 6, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 2
William Zabel, aged 5, who arrived in New York, NY in 1843 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Zabel (post 1700) +

Steve Zabel (b. 1948), American football player
John O. Zabel, American politician, Representative from Michigan 2nd District, 1896; People's Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1900; Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 38th Circuit, 1914, 1918 3
Erik Zabel (b. 1970), German road bicycle racer
Franc Zabel (b. 1968), German composer and pianist

Historic Events for the Zabel family +

Bismarck

Heinz Zabel (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Hindenburg LZ-129

Mr. Max Zabel (1908-1937), German Navigator from Walldorf, Germany, who worked on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/