Krottelbach's name is taken to mean the settlement on the like-named brook, which goes back to the Germanic word Kruftala, and from the beginning has meant “Toadbrook” (this would be Krötenbach in German). Nevertheless, writer Ernst Christmann tried to trace the name back to a crypt (Gruft in German) or a cave (Höhle). In the 1355 document that first mentions Krottelbach, the village is called Crofftelbach, in which the Germanic root can still clearly be recognized, whereas in the centuries that followed, the double F disappeared. In 1458, the name appeared as Kroftelbach and at the same time Krotelbach. Later, other forms cropped up, among others: Crafftelbach (1505), Krottelbach (1565 and 1824) and Grottelbach (1731).Municipality’s name
