Show ContentsPifer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Medieval Austria is the noble birthplace of the family name Pifer. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Pifer family

The surname Pifer was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Nickel Pfyfer of Liegnitz in 1372, and Hailman der Pfiffer in 1371.

Early History of the Pifer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pifer research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1590, 1713, 1721, 1797 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Pifer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pifer Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Pifer include Pfeiffer, Pfeifer, Pfeyffer, Pfeyfer and many more.

Early Notables of the Pifer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Pifer were Johann Babtist Pfeiffer (around 1721), who was administrator for the mines and forges of Achrain, and was knighted in 1721. Ida Laura Pfeiffer (1797-1858) was...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pifer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pifer Ranking

In the United States, the name Pifer is the 8,704th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Pifer migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pifer or a variant listed above:

Pifer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anna Elizabeth Pifer, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 [2]
Pifer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Adam Pifer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [2]
  • John Pifer, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1852 [2]
  • Jacob Pifer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1862 [2]
  • John D. Pifer, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
Pifer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • George Nicholas Pifer, who landed in America, in 1904
  • Owen H. P. Pifer, aged 69, who settled in America, in 1907
  • John Daniel Pifer, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1914
  • Daise Pifer, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1914
  • Eliza Pifer, aged 50, who immigrated to America, in 1914
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Pifer (post 1700) +

  • Lisa Pifer (b. 1967), American bass player and song writer
  • Walter E. Pifer, American politician, Mayor of Vienna, West Virginia, 1981-85 [3]
  • Steven Karl Pifer, American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, 1998- [3]
  • Kevin J. Pifer, American politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of New Hope, Minnesota, 2004 [3]
  • Dan Pifer, former head coach for the United Indoor Football League


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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