Conrad
A Germanic surname from a personal name meaning “bold counsel” or “able advice.”
The #848 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,585 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Conrad comes from the old Germanic personal name Konrad, made from elements meaning “bold, brave” and “counsel, advice.” In older scholarship it is often glossed as “able counsel” or “bold counsel.” The surname is therefore patronymic in origin: it began as a family name taken from an ancestor named Conrad.
History
The name was common across the German-speaking world in the Middle Ages, helped by saints, nobles, and rulers who bore it. As surnames became hereditary, Conrad was adopted by families in German lands and later spread widely through Central Europe and emigrant communities. English-language records also preserve it as a surname of German immigrant families, while related spellings such as Konrad remain common in German-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same name lies behind the famous given name Konrad and the surname, so in many cases the family name originally just meant “son of Conrad.”
From the historical record
“assistance. Con-na-fir, the head of men. CONRAD. (Ger.) Able counsel CONRY. Local "Gauir Conrigh" a high mountain near Tralee, County of Kerry, Ireland. CONSTABLE. A name of office. Roger de Lacey first assumed this surname from being constable of Chester, in England. A commander of the cavalry. CONTIN. Local From…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian NamesNotable people named Conrad
- Joseph Conrad (1857–1924)
- Pete Conrad (1930–1999)
- Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852–1925)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.