Kuschnereit

From Historical Research Centre supplied by Grace Kuschnereit

The Prussian family name Kuschnereit is classified as being of occupative origin. During that period in European history when the use of a distinguishing family name was being established, those who were involved in a specific trade or held a particular office were considered some of the most important members of the local community. With regard to the surname Kuschnereit, we have a derivation of the Old High Germanic term "kursinna" (borrowed from Slavic and denoting a fur garment), together with one of the characteristic suffix elements"..eit", here referring to one engaged in the sale or manufacture of fur garments - a furrier. Variants for the surname include Kuschner, Kuschnerov and Kushnic among a number of others and can also be found in other countries of Europe.

One of the earliest references to this name or to a variant is a record of one called Thomas Kuschner, son of Adam and Elisabeth Kuschner, upon the occasion of his birth on 9^th December 1748 in Slovenia, however research is of course on going and this name may have been documented even earlier than the date indicated above. The marriage of Paul Kuschner and Susanna Katreinel was recorded in Durna Valra, Rumania on 15^th September 1830, and in 1918 that of Julia Ivanovna Kuschnerov and John Gregory Kaline was performed in Pyaligorsk, Russia. The great European emigrations of the early nineteenth century introduced many Eastern European names into North America, including this one, albeit perhaps in a variant form although the name could of course have been first introduced to that country at an earlier date.