What does the name Kessler Mean?
The name Kessler derives from the German, Dutch and Ashkenazic name for a maker of copper cooking vessels. In German it derived from a Middle Hghg German kezzel “kettle”, ‘cauldron’. In Middle Dutch is was a ketel and in modern German Kessel.
Another theory states the name sometimes came from a biblical male name Yekutiel which was often shortened to Kessel.
A third theory is that Kessler could be based on a town, city or region or country. There is a locality called Kessel in northern German. The German suffix “-er” indicates “of or from”.
Similar surnames include: Fessler, Keisler, Kissler, Tessler, Kensler, Sessler, Wessler, Kessel, Keszler
Our Kessler and Charipper Beginnings
We know that Bertha Charipper came from Brody, but we do not know exactly where in Poland/ Austria Samuel Kessler came from. Samuel’s parents were Tzvi Hirsch and Hudas (Yehudit), both common names which do not give us too much to go on.
Bertha’s parents were Sarah Zarke and Abraham Yitzak Charipper. Her half-brother, who was raised by her mother, settled in Vienna and raised a family there. That could be the connection to Samuel and Bertha living in Vienna.