| ![Show Contents]() Kaufmann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of KaufmannWhat does the name Kaufmann mean? The Jewish surname Kaufmann is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Kaufman means "merchant" or "shopkeeper" in German, and as a German name was generally an occupational name. However, for most of the Jewish people of this name, Kaufmann was derived from the first name Jacob (Yaakov), converted to a surname it became Yakovman, then Yakofman, which was shortened to Kofman. Kaufman, finally, would have been a spelling variation of this last version. Kaufmann Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Kaufman, Kaufmann, Kauffmann, Kauffman and many more. Kaufmann RankingIn the United States, the name Kaufmann is the 6,913rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Kaufmann is ranked the 8,673rd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2
| Kaufmann migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Kaufmann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mr. Fr. Kaufmann, aged 28,from Hanover who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Ferdinand" in 1844
- Georg Kaufmann, who immigrated to Texas in 1846
| Kaufmann migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Kaufmann Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Miss Jenny Kaufmann, (b. 1848), aged 20, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Gainsborough" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1868 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kaufmann (post 1700) | + |
- Evan Kaufmann (b. 1984), American professional ice hockey forward
- Edgar Kaufmann Jr. (1910-1989), American architect, lecturer, and author
- Myron Kaufmann (1921-2010), American Jewish novelist
- Felix Kaufmann (1895-1949), Austrian-American philosopher of law
- William Weed Kaufmann (1918-2008), American nuclear strategist and adviser to seven defense secretaries
- Mike Kaufmann (b. 1966), American heavy metal bass guitarist
- Gordon Kaufmann (1888-1949), English born American architect
- Edgar J. Kaufmann (1885-1955), prominent Jewish German-American businessman and philanthropist
- Walter Arnold Kaufmann (1921-1980), German-American philosopher
- Aloys P. Kaufmann (1902-1984), American Republican politician, Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, 1943-49; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1948, 1960 (alternate), 1964 (alternate) 4
- ... (Another 34 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Kaufmann family | + |
Bismarck - Bernhard Kaufmann (1893-1941), German Angestellter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
| Suggested Readings for the name Kaufmann | + |
- Descendants of John J. Bontrager IV and Fanny Kauffman by Edna O. Yoder.
- Ellen Virginia Kauffman by Patricia Jean Minger Vorenberg.
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