Surname kald - Meaning and Origin
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kald: What does the surname kald mean?
Kald is a Scandinavian surname that appears in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and can have different meanings depending on its origin. In Denmark, the name has a locational origin, deriving from the word kalde meaning “well” and thus indicating someone who lived near a well or spring. In Norway, Kald may be derived from the Old Norse kaldi, meaning “cold” and thus indicating a place with a cold climate or a surname authorities to a person with a personality thought to match the coldness of the place. Finally, in Sweden, the name likely originates from the Old Norse kaldr, meaning “bald” and thus indicating a person with a bald head or a bald spot.
No matter the origin, Kald is an interesting surname, and it may have a subtle hint to the personality of its bearer. Whether the family comes from a cold place, near a well, or with a bald head, Kald carries a sense of history and place.
Order DNA origin analysiskald: Where does the name kald come from?
The last name Kald is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, particularly in the countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is likely that it would have been an occupational surname, depicting a swordsmith or armory worker. These days, the surname Kald is not particularly common, with only around 37 people in the United States today holding the name.
In Norway, the surname is mostly found in the western and southern parts of the country, with clusters of names appearing in Vest-Agder and Rogaland. In Denmark, more than 400 people of the Kald surname live in the area of Viborg, with smaller numbers in Aarhus and Copenhagen. There are also Kald families in Sweden found mainly in Stockholm.
Outside of Scandinavia, the surname is not found in large numbers. Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States are all countries which have less than 100 people with the last name Kald. However, changed surnames - spellings, and a lack of full records are sure to lead to some inaccuracies in the number of people who actually bear the name in these countries.
While Kald may not be particularly common today, it is believed to have been much more widely used centuries ago. Its use in some countries may be slowly decreasing due to cultural and immigration changes, but with its Scandinavian roots, foundations are in place for the name to remain alive in future generations.
Variations of the surname kald
The surname Kald is of Germanic origin and can be spelled Kalb, Kaldb, Kalb, Kalberer, Kalder, Cald, Kalders, Kollder, Koilder, Kalland, Kalbacher, Kolves, Kaldenberg, Kalberger, Kalland and Kalmbacher.
Kald is an old Germanic name derived from the Proto-Germanic word "Kaldu" which means bald, or having little hair. Its earliest recorded occurrence is found in an 1199 document wherein a man named Hartmann von Kalde is mentioned.
The surname Kald is most prevalent in Germany and Switzerland. It is also found in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. In the U.S., the surname Kald is most common in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas and Arkansas.
Early instances of the surname Kald includes Conrad Kald of Württemberg, Germany in 1290; Henry Kald of Switzerland in 1387; and Johannes Kald of Switzerland in 1538. Variants of the surname, such as Kalb and Cald were more commonly found in Ireland, although these variants may have originated from a separate place altogether. Henry Cald was recorded in the 1297 Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk during the reign of King Edward I of England.
The English language surname Kalt is believed to be derived from the German surname Kald. This surname first appeared in England in the late 1900s, as recorded in the 1901 census.
The Swedish language Kald/kålder is a variant of Kald and is derived from the Old Norse ‘kaðal’, meaning ‘hut’. This surname was first found in the Copenhagen area of Denmark in the 1200s. In 1301, a man named Erich Kålder was noted in ‘The Register of the Lands of Pomerania Monasteries’ in Sweden.
The Dutch variant Cout and Kaut come from the Middle Dutch "kaut," which means "wise." This surname is most common in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Ultimately, the surname Kald is part of a larger family of Germanic surnames which have many variants and spellings.
Famous people with the name kald
- Kamil Kald: Professional footballer who plays for Maccabi Haifa in Israeli Premier League
- Anja Kald: Professional Slovenian tennis player who capped her career by winning two major tournaments in 2004
- Joe Kald: American cinematographer who worked on projects such as “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Spider-Man 3,” and “Big Fish”
- Maria Kald: British interior designer who was responsible for the restoration of the Grand Hall at St. James’s Palace in London
- Erik Kald: Professional Swedish racing driver who took part in two Formula One races in 1977
- Max Kald: German sculptor who created the Monuments to Einstein and Planck in Berlin
- Susanna Kald: Estonian concert pianist and recording artist
- Hussain Kald: Professional soccer player from Bahrain who currently plays in the top division of his country
- David Kald: Film historian and professor at Tel Aviv University
- Ami Kald: Israeli opera singer and former American National Opera Champion