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Introduction
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On this site we collect facts and stories of various Kettwig families. At the core of these pages you find the genealogical database, which contains all available data.
Since privacy is the important issue with family facts, without registering you can only access information of persons who died more than 20 years ago.
Family members can contact me (Jens Kettwig) to get full access. As a member you can also view notes, sources and pictures without watermark.
The database also serves the purpose of online collaboration with other researchers. If you want to contribute or correct data in the family tree, I’ll gladly grant editing rights.
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Where does the surname Kettwig originate?
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The origin of the Kettwig surname can only be guessed and there are many contrary interpretations of its meaning and development. Kettwig families, who live today, have various origins, places, countries and ancestors.
The name may be connected to of two towns: the former town Kettwig, now part of Essen in Germany, or the town Katwijk in the Netherlands. Whether one these towns can be connected to the Kettwig surname remains to be proved.
Mainly two spelling variants can be found: Kettwig and Kettwich. They are most certainly one and the same name, with only a different spelling.
Essen-Kettwig (D)
The oldest version of the name is Katuuik. An interpretation sees "kat" as a river bend, "wick" as a settlement or village. In other words "a settlement at a bend of the river Ruhr". The name was first mentioned in a document in 1052. The settlement, however, had existed prior to this date because the ford in the river Ruhr made a crossing possible for travellers on the "Bergische Hellweg", a historical route. Below you find the different spellings of the town of Kettwig in history. In brackets you find the year this spelling was documented.
- Katuuik (1052)
- Katwiee (1197)
- Ketwich (1317)
- Katwyk, Ketwyck and Kettwick (1372)
- Kettwigh (1456)
- Kettwich (1528)
- Kedwich (1574)
- Kettwech (1585)
- Ketweg (1736)
According to a document of the year 1697, the "Katten" were a people which travelled down the river Rhine, starting in their place of origin (propably Hesse) and settling at the estuary of the river. Therefore "kat" stands for the people of the "Katten" and "wijk" (short for "wijkplaats") for "place of refuge". The name Katwijk would then mean "place of refuge of the Katten".
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