Kerner (surname)
Appearance
Kerner is an occupational surname of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) origin. There are various possible derivations, including as a name for a farmer or a nickname for a small person, from a Middle High German kerne ("kernel seed pip"); German Kern or Yiddish kern (grain), among others. Middle English kerner is a variant of cherner ("churner; one who churns butter").[1] It may also derive from "carter" or "carrier", from the German word kerenere. The name was found in Bavaria, Germany, in the medieval period.[2]
People with the surname include:
Literature
[edit]- Charlotte Kerner (born 1950), biographer and science-fiction writer
- Elizabeth Kerner (born 1958), fantasy author
- Justinus Kerner (1786–1862), a German lyric poet of the Swabian school
Politics
[edit]- Johann Georg Kerner (1770–1812), political journalist, critical chronicler of the French revolution, brother of Justinus Kerner
- Otto Kerner, Jr. (1908–1976), Illinois Governor and judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Otto Kerner, Sr. (1884–1952), an Illinois Attorney General and judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Entertainment and media
[edit]- Debby Kerner, American singer
- Nena (Gabriele Susanne Kerner; born 1960), German singer who became famous with the New German Wave songs "Nur geträumt" and "99 Luftballons"
- Jordan Kerner, film producer
- Johannes B. Kerner, (born 1964), German television broadcaster
Sports
[edit]- Jonathan Kerner (born 1974), American basketball player
- Marlon Kerner (born 1973), American football player
Science and mathematics
[edit]- Boris Kerner, (born 1947), German physicist
- Anton Kerner von Marilaun (1831–1898), Austrian botanist
Other fields
[edit]- Ian Kerner, American sex counselor
References
[edit]- ^ "Kerner Name Meaning & Kerner Family History". Ancestry. 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, 2022
- ^ "Kerner Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". HouseOfNames. Retrieved 26 April 2024.