The Vogel Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Vogel, its origins in Germany, and the story behind a Vogel family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Vogel coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Vogel name
Vogel means "bird" in German. It began as a nickname for a birdlike person, a bird-catcher, or someone who lived at a house marked with a bird sign. The surname is common throughout German-speaking Europe and among Ashkenazic Jewish families.
Bird, bird-catcher or house sign
Vogel is German and Dutch for "bird", the counterpart of English Bird or Byrd. The surname could describe a bird-catcher or poultry seller, a cheerful singer, or a family that lived at a house marked with a bird sign, a common way of identifying town houses in the Middle Ages. Fogel is an alternative spelling, often Yiddish.
Forebears estimates about 100,000 Vogels in Germany (ranked 52nd), 8,500 in Switzerland and 4,800 in the Netherlands. In the United States the 2010 Census counted 30,470 (ranked 1,153rd). Bearers include the 19th-century explorer Eduard Vogel and the Japanologist Ezra Vogel.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Vogel name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Vogel name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Austria and Switzerland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Vogel family history
Who were the first people to carry the Vogel name, and where did their descendants settle? The full report traces early bearers and the places the family went next.
The complete Vogel pack goes much further: researched origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Vogel name FAQ
What does the Vogel name mean?
Bird. Common variants include Vogels, Fogler, Vogl.
Where does the Vogel surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Vogel coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Vogel crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Vogel coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Vogel mean in German?
Bird. The surname often marks a bird-catcher or a house with a bird sign.
Is Fogel the same as Vogel?
Yes, Fogel is an alternative spelling, frequent among Jewish families.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Vogel (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.