Surname von Seefried - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'V'
von Seefried: What does the surname von Seefried mean?
The surname von Seefried is of German origin and is thought to have first originated in the regions of Bavaria or Tyrol. It is derived from the Old German words "seefried" or "seefrait" which translates to "sea-peace" or "safe passage at sea." The name is believed to have been given to a seafaring ancestor who was known for his bravery or safe travels at sea.
The early spelling of the surname would have been “Seevried”, before being later changed to the spelling found in modern times, “von Seefried”. During the Middle Ages, the variation “vom Seefelder” was also found. This was a name given to someone who lived in a particular location near a lake or the sea.
Throughout its history, the von Seefried name has been strongly associated with the countries of Austria and Germany. The Golden Bull of 1356, which was a decree issued by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, contained the name several times.
The name has since spread to other countries around the world, with members of the von Seefried family in the United States to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisvon Seefried: Where does the name von Seefried come from?
The last name von Seefried is most commonly found in parts of Germany. According to records, it has been present in German lands since at least the 1600s. In the modern day, von Seefried is a common surname in parts of South and West Germany, with notable clusters occurring in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
Within these regions, von Seefried can be found among all social classes, though it is especially widespread among upper- and middle-class citizens. Regional anecdotes suggest that the name is even more prominent within certain circles of the upper-class German intelligentsia.
Von Seefried may not be as common in other parts of the world, but research suggests that many of its bearers have emigrated to other countries, especially to North America, in the past few centuries. As a consequence, a few von Seefrieds can be found in other German-speaking countries today, although many may have Anglicized the name to “von Seafried” or similar spellings. Additionally, many of its bearers have since adopted other surnames, making it hard to track the current von Seefried population outside of Germany.
Variations of the surname von Seefried
The German surname of von Seefried is a patronymic name deriving from the medieval personal name Seefried. Von is a preposition added to denote nobility or a landed family. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include:
Seefried: The most common spelling of the name is Seefried.
Von Seefried: Von Seefried is the full form of the name which always includes the preposition von, added to denote the nobility and landed class that the family belonged to.
Vonseefried: Vonseefried is a more modernised spelling of the name and is used as an alternative to Von Seefried.
Vonseifried: Vonseifried is another comma spelling of the name.
Seifried: Seifried is one of the two main variants of the name. It is also a more modernised spelling of the original Seefried.
Von Seifried: Von Seifried is the full form of Seifried. This variant of the name includes the preposition von added to denote the family's nobility and landed status.
Vonseefriedt: VonSeefriedt is another modernised comma spelling of the name.
The surnames of other countries derived from the German von Seefried include:
Seefrid (Anglo-Saxon)
Seiffried (Austria)
Seefrieda (Czech Republic)
Seifriedo (Italy)
Seefrid (Scandinavian, Dutch, and Flemish)
Seiffried (Slovak)
Seifred (Romanian)
Seifrieds (Latvian)
Siefrit (Bulgarian)
Se redu (Polish)
Famous people with the name von Seefried
- Agathe Von Seefried: An operatic soprano known for her many appearances in the Bayreuth Festival of the late twentieth century.
- Heinrich Von Seefried: A commander in the Wehrmacht, his most notable feat was leading elements of the SS Panzerkorps into central Ukraine during World War II.
- Fritz Von Seefried: An actor best known for making appearances in German films such as Haider und die Schurken and Die Feuerwalzen.
- Konrad Von Seefried: A philosopher and theologian, known for his works on the Christian theology of creation and evolution.
- Helene Von Seefried: A Major General in the German armed forces, she commanded during the Battle of Normandy and served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in northwest Europe.
- Al L Von Seefried: A physicist and author, his works included works on quantum mechanics and modern physics.
- William Von Seefried: A German-American businessman and philanthropist, he was a major player in the German-American business community and was a founder of the Seefried foundation.
- Joseph Von Seefried: A German imperial military leader and diplomat, he was one of the few German commanders to successfully lead troops during the Russian invasion of Poland.
- Carl Von Seefried: A politician and scientist, he was a member of the then-powerful Weimar Republic cabinet and a major force for modernizing German science research and education.
- Sophie Von Seefried: A notable literary figure, she was the author of several books and novels, including the popular War of the Worlds and War of the Worlds 2.