Family name origins & meanings
- German : from the personal name Gotthelf (literally ‘God’s help’), which was first recorded at the beginning of the 18th century; it was formed in imitation of older German male names but stressing a Christian (Protestant) attitude and became popular through the Pietist movement in Germany. In some cases at least, it was a late adoption as a surname; for instance, the Swiss minister and writer Albert Bitzius (1797–1854) dubbed himself Jeremias Gotthelf.
- Jewish (Ashkenazic) : ornamental name with the same meaning as 1, from German Gott ‘God’ + Helfe ‘help’.