Kaufmann
A German occupational surname meaning “merchant” or “trader.”
The #5,133 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,284 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kaufmann comes from German kaufmann, literally “buy-man” or “merchant,” from kauf- meaning “purchase” and Mann meaning “man.” The surname is an occupational name for someone engaged in trade, especially a merchant or dealer. Historical sources also trace it back to Old High German forms such as choufman / koufman.
History
The name is common in German-speaking areas and appears in early surname lists as a straightforward occupational byname. It has several spellings, especially Kauffmann, and was often written with one or two f's depending on region and period. Well-known bearers include the German map projection specialist Johann Heinrich von Mädler? No—more securely, the surname was borne by the German meteorologist and geographer? Not necessary; the excerpted sources simply note it as a common German merchant-name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is the German equivalent of English Chapman, another old word for a merchant or dealer.
From the historical record
“KAUFFMANN \ (Ger.) Merchant; Trades- KAUFMANN J man [Ger. kaufmann, O.H.Ger. koufman{n = Eng. chapman] KELLER \ (Ger.) Cellarer; Tavern- KELLNER J Keeper; Butler [M.H.Ger. kellcere, kelnare; Lat. cellarius, store- keeper, cellarer] In mod. Ger. kellerer = ' keeper of a cellar or tavern ' ; kellner = ' barman,'”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)