Kolb Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kolb last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kolb last name
Meaning of the Kolb last name: club, a nickname. Kolb comes from an old German word for a club or cudgel. It was a nickname for a man who carried one, for a stout and sturdy person, or for someone with closely cropped hair, which the same word could describe. The name is common in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Franconia and Austria. A curious detail: Kolb families were among the early German settlers in Pennsylvania, so the name has a long history in America too.
Arms associated with the Kolb name
In German lands, arms were often carved above house doors and on seals, so a Kolb shield could mark a home as well as a person.
Get your full Kolb family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kolb story. The full Kolb history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kolb coat of arms. Get the full Kolb report.
Kolb name FAQ
What does the Kolb name mean?
Club, a nickname. Common variants include Kolbe, Kolber, Kolbmann.
Where does the Kolb surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Kolb coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kolb coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).