Strobel
A German surname probably nicknamed for someone with straw-like or rough hair, or a related form of Straub/Strube.
The #5,685 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,639 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is generally treated as a German nickname name, related to forms like Straub and Strube that describe shaggy, bristly, or otherwise rough hair. Older surname scholars also connect Strobel with a diminutive or variant of these forms, rather than with any occupation. The literal sense is therefore something like "the tousled one" or "the rough-haired one."
History
The name is found in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname collections alongside related forms such as Ströbel, Streubel, and Strub. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century writers usually grouped it with descriptive nicknames based on appearance, especially hair texture. It is still present today in Germany and among German-descended families abroad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers often treated Strobel as part of a whole family of similar nickname names built on the idea of rough or bristly hair.
From the historical record
“„verwüsten, rauben". FN. (Sti-udbalt): Strubelt — Stroholt; Strobel. (Strudbort) : Ströbert — Straubert — Streubert; Streuber. (Strudmar): Strummer. Strudolf: Stnäwolf.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen