Grabner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Grabner

What does the name Grabner mean?

Two of the most common types of Jewish family names are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Another very common tradition for adopting surnames in Medieval Europe was to assume a surname that clearly illustrated the occupation of its bearer. The surname Grabner is such an occupational name. Although, today, the word means 'gravedigger' in German, it was once used to indicate that its bearer was an engraver of seals, a highly regarded occupation in the Middle Ages. The German root of this name is "graben," meaning 'to dig' or 'excavate'; such a process is required to make the stamp for seals.

Grabner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Graber, Grabert, Grabner, Gräber, Grebert, Graberman and many more.

Grabner migration to the United States +

Grabner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Emanuel Grabner, who arrived in Carolina in 1752

Grabner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Grabner, who arrived in Maryland in 1845 1

Sources +

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)