Thanks, Pamela... Kimmelweck makes sense: Kimmel (older form is Kümmel) is the German word for caraway. Weck is the German word for roll -- particularly a breakfast roll. A lot of foods like Kimmelkäse (cheese) or Kimmelbrot (bread) or drinks called Kimmel or Kummel simply mean they have caraway seeds or caraway extract in them. (Kimmel Bier may be an exception, if it is truly a brand name beer.) A lot of heraldry businesses say the name Kimmel means "one who harvests caraway plants" or some similar meaning. I doubt they really did any research. If it were true, the name would be Kimmelbauer or Kimmelpächter or, at the very least, Kimmler. The German word books I've gotten hold of say the name Kimmel and the word Kimmel evolved separately. It's only coincidence that at some point they became spelled the same way. The surname Kimmel means, roughly, "a brave and bold warrior." See the URL that Pamela suggested. --Tim Kimmel in Fort Wayne ===================== PamChowdr2@aol.com wrote: > I'm sure Tim will show up one of these days to discuss the origin and meaning > of "Kimmel", but until he does, here'e the link to his webpage that has his > "treatise" on the Kimmel name: > > For us AOL folks: <A HREF="http://www2.fwi.com/~tkimmel/Meaning.htm">Kimmel > Family Record -- Meaning of Name Kimmel</A> > > For the non-AOL folks: http://www2.fwi.com/~tkimmel/Meaning.htm > > (Same website. Just a different route to get there <g>). > > ~ Pamela (Kimmel) Westfall