Surname Schüttgen - Meaning and Origin

Schüttgen: What does the surname Schüttgen mean?

The last name Schüttgen is thought to be of German origin and is most commonly found in the region of Hessen. It is a habitational name, taken from any of various places named Schüttgen or Schütte. In this context, the first element in the name likely stems from Middle High German schütte, meaning 'scatters', 'pours' or 'heaps', likely in reference to a geographical feature or man-made structure.

The surname was most likely brought to North America during the 18th and 19th centuries by German immigrants, many of whom settled in Pennsylvania and other parts of the East Coast. It has since spread to other states, especially those with large German-American communities. It is also common in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The surname Schüttgen is associated with a variety of occupations, including butchers, farmers, teachers, teachers, bankers and businessmen. It is likely that each branch of the family developed its own unique identity over time. People who carry this name are likely proud of their family history and are likely happy to embrace their German-American heritage.

Schüttgen: Where does the name Schüttgen come from?

The surname Schüttgen is a German surname originating from the Rhineland area near the Rhine River in western Germany. It is found today most commonly in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria.

The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, when some inhabitants of the lower Rhine region had the privilege of collecting tolls or taxes from passing ships. The name Schüttgen derives from the Old German verb "schütten," which means to pour or to ladle, and would have referred to the procedure of measuring taxes. The suffix "-gen" attached to the name is indicative of origin, making the name's literal translation "someone from Schütt."

Today, the name is most commonly found in western Germany and in its neighboring countries. According to a 2019 study by the University of Bonn, the prevalence of the Schüttgen name in areas surrounding North Rhine-Westphalia ranges between 0.01% and 0.1%. Although typically associated with Germany, Schüttgen is also found in other European countries, such as Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Additionally, in America, the surname can be found in cities and states with historically Germanic populations.

Overall, the last name Schüttgen is most commonly found in western Germany and its neighboring countries. Although not particularly common today, the name has likely been around for hundreds of years and can be found in varied locations both inside of and outside of Germany.

Variations of the surname Schüttgen

The Schüttgen surname has a variety of variants, spellings and surnames that share the same origin. These variants include Schuttgen, Schütten, Schutten, Schooten, Schutte, Schotten, and Schoten.

The surname Schüttgen originated from the north German region about 900 years ago. It evolved from a root word ‘schutte’ which means junk or waste. This may have been chosen as a surname to denote a person who lived near a rubbish pile, or who collected junk to sell or recycle.

The surname Schüttgen is common in Germany, especially in the Westphalia region. Variants of this surname exist in other German-speaking regions such as Switzerland and Austria, and in non-German-speaking countries such as Czech Republic and Hungary.

The Schüttgen spelling of the surname was first seen in a document from the Kölnischen Stadtarchiv in the year 1489 in reference to Johan Schüttgen. The spelling has since evolved to include the Schuttgen, Schütten, Schutten, Schooten, Schutte, Schotten, and Schoten spellings of the surname.

In today’s modern society, the Schüttgen surname is still used as a surname in many different parts of the world. It is a unique surname with a long history and is an interesting name to trace back in the family tree.

Famous people with the name Schüttgen

• Matthias Schüttgen (1948- ), German tenor singer and actor
• Helmut Schüttgen (1908-1988), Minister for Economic Cooperation of Germany in the 1950s
• Stefan Schüttgen (active 1965-2014), opera singer
• Ernst Schüttgen (1897-1972), German Head of State, Minister of Economics and Agriculture
• Gerhard Schüttgen (active mid-1900s), German politician
• Johann Wilhelm Schüttgen (1716-1770), German theologian
• Rudolf Schüttgen (active mid-1900s), German entrepreneur
• Friedrich Schüttgen (1774-1859), historian and librarian
• Johannes Schüttgen (died 1693), German Jesuit Scholar
• Rudolf Schüttgen (1917–2006), German businessman and financial advisor

Other surnames

Schüttgens