Haffner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Haffner surname comes from the Middle High German words "hafner," or "hafen," meaning "pot," or "dish." As such, Haffner was originally an occupational name for a potter.

Early Origins of the Haffner family

The surname Haffner was first found in Austria and southern Bavaria, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early modern Europe. The family became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses. These played important roles in local political conflicts, in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Hugo Hafinare of Constance in the year 1158, Uli Hafner (Haefeli) of the Aargau region in 1490, and Hueglin Haffner of Kirchheim in 1406. Chronicles also mention an ancient branch of the family whose members were knights of the Kingdom of Styria from 1310 to 1478.

Early History of the Haffner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haffner research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1631, 1640, 1702, 1735, 1741, 1759, 1764, 1776, 1782, 1833 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Haffner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haffner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Haffner, Hafner, Haafner, Hafener, Haffener, Haeffner, Heffner, Haefner, Hefner, Haefeli (Swiss) and many more.

Early Notables of the Haffner family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Haffner were

Enrico Haffner (1640-1702), an Italian painter of quadratura during the Baroque period, his father was from Switzerland...
Sigismund Haffner was a wealthy Salzburg merchant and city councillor who commissioned music from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
These works are now known as the "Haffner Serenade", written for the wedding of his daughter (1776), and the "Haffner Symphony", written for the celebration of Sigismund Haffner's ennoblement (1782)....

Haffner Ranking

In the United States, the name Haffner is the 8,647^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Haffner is ranked the 7,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Haffner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Haffner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicholas Haffner, who landed in St Clair County in 1703 3
Lisabeth Haffner, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 3
Magdalena Haffner, who arrived in Carolina in 1743 3
Hans Jacob Haffner, who settled in Philadelphia in 1743
Dorothea Haffner, who arrived in America in 1743 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Haffner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Haffner, who landed in Maryland in 1840 3
Caroline Haffner, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1854 3
Lina Haffner, aged 2, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 3
Martha Haffner, aged 26, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 3
Otto Haffner, aged 8, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Haffner (post 1700) +

Reverend Debra W. Haffner (b. 1954), American co-founder and President of Religious Institute, Inc
Jeannine Haffner, American singer and songwriter who is credited with writing the song Yes We Can
Michael Arthur Haffner (b. 1942), American former professional NFL football player who played from 1968 to 1971
George Haffner, former American football player and coach
Scott Haffner (b. 1966), retired American professional basketball player, Horizon League Player of the Year (1989)
Major-General Charles Christian Haffner Jr. (1895-1979), American Commanding General 103rd Division, North-West Europe (1944-1945) 4
Ernst Haffner, German social worker, journalist, and novelist, known for his only novel Blood Brothers which was banned by the Nazis and subject to the 1933 Nazi book burnings
Sebastian Haffner (1907-1999), pseudonym of Raimund Pretzel, a German journalist and author who wrote almost exclusively about the history of the German Reich (1871-1945)
Wolfgang Haffner (b. 1965), German jazz drummer
Jean Georg Haffner (1777-1830), French physician, founder of the first spa located in Sopot
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Haffner family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Floyd Bates Haffner, American Fireman First Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 22) Charles Haffner. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Haffner/Charles_Christian_Jr./USA.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html