Kirsch
A German surname meaning “cherry,” often applied as a nickname or ornamental name.
The #4,050 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,229 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kirsch is the German word for “cherry,” from Middle High German kirse, kirse, ultimately from Latin cerasum. As a surname, it most likely began as a nickname for someone associated with cherries—perhaps a grower, seller, or someone with a cherry-red complexion—or later as an ornamental family name. In some cases it may also be linked indirectly to names like Kirschbaum (“cherry tree”).
History
The name is found in German-speaking areas and also among Jewish families in Central and Eastern Europe, where many surnames were adopted or adapted in German form. It traveled to North America with German and Jewish migration in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The same word also appears in compounds and related surnames such as Kirschbaum and Kirschner.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
German kirsch is also the source of kirschwasser, a cherry brandy.
From the historical record
“Kirch. Église (Allem.). Kirsch. Cerise (Allem.). Klaine. F. de Klein. Klaus. Abr. de Niklaus.”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)