Kramer
/ˈkreɪmər/noun
A surname of German and Dutch origin, originally referring to a shopkeeper, merchant, or peddler.
Did you know?The occupational name traces back to words for a booth or trading stall, whose deeper ancestry is linked to Latin camera, meaning a vaulted or arched chamber.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
camera
“A vaulted or arched chamber; the proposed deeper source of the Germanic trading-stall word.”
Medieval Latin to Old French
Old French
crame
“A booth, stall, or temporary market structure.”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
kraam
“A market stall, booth, or merchandise displayed for sale.”
Middle High German
Middle High German
krāmære
“A small trader, shopkeeper, or peddler; formed from krām, goods or a trading stall, plus an agent suffix.”
14th Century
Middle English
cramer
“A merchant or seller, especially one operating from a stall or small shop.”
Modern English
English
Kramer
“A surname inherited from the medieval occupational term, especially associated with German- and Dutch-speaking families.”
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