Drumpf (alternately Drumpft), also spelled as Trumpf, is a

German surname Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname''). The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the "Name order, ...

that dates back to the 16th century. It is most commonly known as the likely predecessor to the family name of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, 45th president and 47th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

. Comedy show host

John Oliver John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...

brought attention to the name during a February 2016 segment of his ''

Last Week Tonight A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...

'' television series.

History

According to author Gwenda Blair, Hanns Drumpf, an itinerant lawyer who moved to

Kallstadt Kallstadt () is a village in the Palatinate (region), Palatine part of Rhineland-Palatinate, one of Germany's States of Germany, 16 federal states. It is part of the Rhine-Neckar, Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region whose largest city is Mannheim, Ger ...

in 1608, was Trump's ancestor and that the spelling of his last name had changed by the end of the 17th century. In 2011, the ''

International Business Times The ''International Business Times'' is an American online newspaper that publishes five national editions in four languages. The publication, sometimes called ''IBTimes'' or ''IBT'', offers news, opinion and editorial commentary on business and ...

'' repeated an unverified claim that Donald Trump's paternal grandfather

Frederick Trump Frederick Trump (born Friedrich Trump; ; March 14, 1869 – May 30, 1918) was a German-American businessman. He was the patriarch of the Trump family and the paternal grandfather of the 45th and 47th U.S. president, Donald Trump. Born and rais ...

changed his name from Drumpf to Trump, possibly to avoid

anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is fear or dislike of Germany, its Germans, people, and its Culture of Germany, culture. Its opposite is Germanophile, Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment main ...

popular at the time. In 2019, German broadcaster DW Akademie reported from the Trump German ancestral home in Kallstadt that there were no more people with the surname, and that according to the city's transportation association, the spelling had likely been changed during the reign of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

around the turn of the 19th century.

In popular culture

In the 2016 graphic novel ''Love Is Love'', one comic features a superhero, Rainbow Boy, who uses his powers to fight "Doc Drumpf" and his armies of "Spider Haters".

References

{{reflist Surnames Surnames of German origin Donald Trump