Appel
A surname that usually points to the German word for “apple,” though in some cases it may be a shortened form of another Germanic name.
The #4,473 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,895 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Appel is most commonly connected with the German word Apfel, meaning “apple,” or with a related low-German and Dutch form. In surname use, that can make it a nickname, a trade name, or a name formed from an apple-related place or sign. Some older scholars also suggested that in certain cases it may be linked to shorter Germanic personal-name forms, but the fruit-name explanation is the simplest and best-known.
History
The surname is found in German-speaking and Dutch-speaking areas and later appears in English-language records through migration. In older surname books, Appel is sometimes discussed alongside Apple and Apfel because the forms could overlap or be adapted across languages. In some families, especially in Jewish records, Appel can also reflect the adoption of Germanic surname forms already current in Central Europe.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers occasionally linked Appel to nicknames and even to shortened personal names, showing how many different routes a simple-looking surname could have.
From the historical record
“L'abb6 Brizard a vu, dans les titres de la famille de Buat, une meme personne appel6e Robert et Robinet. — Larchey, p. 416. ROBINS, Robin's (Son) 1„ p-uj- ROBINSON, Robin's SonJ ^' "°"'"-”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)