kellner

Kellner is a German surname and the standard German word for a waiter or server. As an occupational name, it originally designated a person employed as a waiter in inns, taverns, or households, a role common in medieval German-speaking communities. The surname emerged in the German-speaking lands during the Middle Ages and was passed down as a hereditary family name.

Today, Kellner remains most common in Germany and Austria, with smaller populations in Switzerland and among German-speaking diaspora communities in the United States, Canada, and other countries. The name is one of several German occupational surnames that persisted into modern times, reflecting ancestral trades rather than personal characteristics.

In modern usage, Kellner is primarily a surname and carries no inherent meaning beyond its historical origin. Some bearers of the name may have no connection to the original occupation, as surnames often become detached from their initial trades over generations.

See also: Keller.