Surname Scheffer - Meaning and Origin
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Scheffer: What does the surname Scheffer mean?
The last name Scheffer is a Germanic patronymic surname derived from the given name Schiefer, which means "bowed" or "bent" in German. This type of surname indicates that its first bearer was a person who exhibited certain physical characteristics, such as a bowed figure or bent back.
The name Scheffer can also be found in various spelling variations in different countries, including Schaeffer, Schaefer, Schäfer and Shaeffer. Its first recorded bearer was a 12th-century Knight and Crusader named Heinrich Schiefer von Knonau, who was a minister of the Holy Roman Empire. This surname was common in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and began to spread beyond Germanic regions during the 19th century.
Today, Scheffer is most commonly found in Germany and Austria, although it can also be found in countries such as South Africa, France, the United States and Israel. It can be a surname as well as a given name. People with this name may be descended from Germanic ancestors, or overseas settlers who used the original Germanic spelling of their surname in their new countries.
Generally speaking, the Scheffer surname denotes a person of Germanic descent who has a bent or bowed figure or back. It’s an interesting and unique surname that has been passed down through the generations.
Order DNA origin analysisScheffer: Where does the name Scheffer come from?
The last name Scheffer is most common in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Sweden. Germany has the highest concentration of people with the surname Scheffer, with an estimated 33,600 individuals from the country bearing this surname. The Netherlands follows closely with approximately 21,000 people having the last name Scheffer, making it the second most populous nation in terms of Scheffer surnames. Austria, Belgium, Sweden, and France all have around 5,500 individuals with the last name Scheffer. Switzerland has the lowest number of Scheffers, with only around 1,500 people having this surname.
The Scheffer name is believed to have originated from the Germanic schiefer meaning “sloping” or “slanted” and is most commonly found in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The surname is more commonly spelled Schaeffer, but variants like Schaffer, Schafer, Schaefer, and Shaffer are also popular forms of the name.
The last name Scheffer can also be found in other countries around the world such as the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Due to the various migrations of people from Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, the Scheffer name has spread to other nations. This surname is especially prominent in the United States, with an estimated 21,500 individuals bearing this name.
Variations of the surname Scheffer
The surname Scheffer can have several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of these are Schaeffer, Schaefer, Shaefer, Shaeffer, Shaffer, Sheffer and Sheffey. These variants are often caused by spelling mistakes and variations in the pronunciation of the surname by different nationalities and dialects.
Schaeffer is the original form of the surname Scheffer, and is derived from the old German schaef meaning 'shepherd' or 'sheepherder'. The "ae" in the spelling is pronounced like "a" in English, and the final "er" is usually dropped when the surname is spoken. The variants of the name with the spelling "a-e-f-f-e-r" are then derived from this original spelling.
The variant spelling Schaefer is an Anglicization of Schaeffer, typically found in English-speaking countries. It is also pronounced the same way, with the final "er" being dropped upon being spoken. Shaefer and Shaeffer are also derived from the original Schaeffer, and are pronounced exactly the same, because the "a" and "e" are pronounced the same in German.
Shaffer and Sheffer both originate from the German Schaeffer. They differ in usage, with Shaffer being more common in the United States, and Sheffer more common in the United Kingdom. Sheffey is a variant of Sheffer that has been recorded in some areas of the United States, and has the same origin and pronunciation as Sheffer.
Famous people with the name Scheffer
- Johann Heinrich Scheffer: an 18th-century German poet, historian, and businessman.
- Pieter Scheffer: a Flemish-born German painter and engraver of the Baroque period.
- Frank Scheffer: a Dutch documentary filmmaker who has completed films about composers Morton Feldman, John Cage, and Steve Reich.
- David Scheffer: an American lawyer and diplomat who worked at the United States Department of State and was the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 1997 to 2001.
- Heimito von Doderer: an Austrian writer whose original name was Heimito Romanovic Scheffer.
- Armin Scheffer: a German physicist and roboticist.
- Tamyra Gray: an American singer, songwriter, and actress whose maiden name was Tamyra Scheffer.
- Hans Scheffer: a Dutch sculptor whose works include statues for former first ladies Raissa Gorbachova and Corazon Aquino.
- Michael Scheffer: a German economist and publicist who focuses on societal issues.
- Dolph Schayes: a former U.S. professional basketball player whose full name was Adolph Scheffer Schayes.