Surname Griebe - Meaning and Origin
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Griebe: What does the surname Griebe mean?
The last name Griebe is of German origin. It is derived from a Middle High German word, ‘gribe’, which means ‘hunch’ or ‘crouch’, and therefore suggests that the family were perhaps farmers or brewers who hunched down while at work.
The Griebe surname is found mostly in the southwest region of Germany, though it is also found in other parts of Europe. This surname dates back to the 12th century, when the first person to bear this name was Arnold Griebe, who was listed in the tax rolls of the city of Breslau.
The Griebe family has had a long history of being involved with trades, mainly in agriculture, brewing, and masonry. Many Griebe members have had long histories of joining the military, including serving in the Prussian wars during the 1800s.
Today, individuals named Griebe are mostly found in the United States, Germany, Austria, and some other parts of Europe. The Griebe name is still fairly common in these places.
It can be assumed that the Griebe family has kept its traditions alive, continuing their work in the trades and military service. Many of the current Griebe descendants can trace their family to several generations of ancestors who were proud of their accomplishments and dedicated to their work.
Order DNA origin analysisGriebe: Where does the name Griebe come from?
The last name Griebe is most common today in Germany. It is reported to be most numerous in the states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, but it is also found in other parts of Germany like Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The first recorded instances of the name can be found in the Catholic Church’s historical records, as early as the 15th century.
It is thought that the Griebe name first originated from the small village of Groß Griebe located in Lower Saxony. Records indicate that in the Middle Ages the village was part of the duchy of Wolfenbüttel. It is believed that the name originated from a littoral area, which was in the area of Wolfenbüttel, so some families of this area may have adopted the name.
In modern times the last name Griebe is dispersed throughout the world, but it is most commonly found in Germany. In the United States, it is estimated that there are around 1,350 individuals who carry the Griebe name, with most of them living in the Ohio Valley region. The Griebe last name is also fairly well established in Canada, with the majority of Canadian bearers having ancestors who originated from Germany.
Regardless of where they are located, the people with the Griebe surname can be sure that their lineage likely originates from the littoral area in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Variations of the surname Griebe
The surname Griebe is derived from a Low German language word ‘grieben’, meaning ‘to dig’. This name has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
The most common variant and spelling of Griebe is Grebe. This spelling is more popular in regions such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and some Danish regions. In some cases, it is spelled as Grebbe or Greben.
Griebe is also spelled as Greibe in certain parts of Germany, Norway, and Denmark. In some cases, it is spelled as Grieben or Griben.
Other surnames of the same origin include Grüeb, Grüber, Grübner, Gräbner, Grabner, Grabbe, Graebel, and Graubel.
Griebe is also often found as a variation of the English surname ‘Greeve’, which is derived from a different root word. The Greeve spelling is more common in the UK and parts of the United States.
In certain parts of Germany and Austria, the surname Griebe is simply written as Grieb.
The surname Griebe can also be found in different spellings in different parts of France, such as Greve, Grevet, Grevy, Grive, Grivet, Griveau, Grivel, Grivelvis, and Grivon.
No matter the spelling or variant, the surname Griebe is of Germanic origin, and means ‘to dig’.
Famous people with the name Griebe
- Rainer Griebe: Rainer Griebe is a German artist and sculptor. He is best known for his bronze works depicting animals, nature environments and people, which are created in his own signature style.
- Matthias Griebe: Matthias Griebe is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for FC St. Pauli, a German 2. Bundesliga club.
- Henrik Griebe: Henrik Griebe is a German professional handball player for SC Magdeburg and the German national team who won gold medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
- Karl Griebe: Karl Griebe was a German photographer and cinematographer who worked in the silent film industry. He is best remembered for his work on Fritz Lang's classic sci-fi epic Metropolis.
- Stephen Griebe: Stephen Griebe is a Canadian composer and music producer, known for his work with artists such as Moby, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Iggy Pop, La Roux and more.
- Sabine Griebe: Sabine Griebe is a German artist and illustrator known for her children's books and illustrations, drawings and papercuts, all with a unique visual style.
- Johann Friedrich Griebe: Johann Friedrich Griebe was a 19th century Austrian writer and librarian known for writing "Geschichte des deutschen Volkes und der alten deutschen Staaten" which detailed German history.
- Theodor Griebe: Theodor Griebe was a German mathematician who published various works on mathematical physics and authored the books "Grundriss der mechanik" and "Theorie der wechselwirkungen".
- Bernd Griebe: Bernd Griebe is a German sound designer and audio engineer, known for his work on various films, television series, and video games such as "Gotham", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Dark Souls II".
- Karl Griebe: Karl Griebe was a German physicist who made fundamental contributions to the theory of thermodynamics. He is considered one of the main founding fathers of thermodynamics and was a professor of physics at the University of Halle.