Kissel Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kissel last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kissel last name
Meaning of the Kissel last name: a descendant of little Giso. Kissel is a patronymic surname that Smith derives from little Giso, a short form of names beginning with Gisel, pledge or hostage, such as Giselher. The last name is concentrated in Hesse and the Palatinate, and Kissel families emigrated to Pennsylvania and to the Volga region of Russia.
Arms associated with the Kissel name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full Kissel family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kissel story. The full Kissel 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 Kissel coat of arms. Get the full Kissel report.
Kissel name FAQ
What does the Kissel name mean?
A descendant of little Giso.
Where does the Kissel surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States and Australia.
Is there a Kissel coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kissel coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.