Schaeffner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished surname Schaeffner is German in origin. It is derived from the Middle High German term "schaffaere," which referred to a shepherd, one who took care of sheep. 1 Alternatively, the name could have been derived from an German occupational name for someone "who made casks and barrels, a cooper." 2

Early Origins of the Schaeffner family

The surname Schaeffner was first found in Hessen, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Schaeffner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schaeffner research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1425, 1451, 1503, 1569, 1624, 1653, 1677, 1699, 1756, 1787 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Schaeffner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schaeffner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Schaeffers, Schaefer, Scheaffer, Schaefers, Schaffer, Schafer, Shaeffer, Schefer, Shaefer and many more.

Early Notables of the Schaeffner family

Prominent figures of the time who bore the name Schaeffner were Peter Schöffer (c.1425-c.1503), an early German printer, and worked as a manuscript copyist in 1451.Angelus Silesius or Johann Angelus Silesius (1624-1677), born Johann Scheffler, was a German Catholic priest and physician. He was known as a mystic and religious poet, born and raised a Lutheran. In 1653, he adopted the name Angelus (Latin for "angel" or "heavenly messenger") and the epithet Silesius ("Silesian") and converted to Catholicism. As a convert and priest, he tried to convince German Protestants...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schaeffner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schaeffner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Schaeffner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin Schaeffner, aged 24, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Schaeffner (post 1700) +

Bruno Schaeffner, German actor, known for Meine kleine Welt (1993)
Andre Schaeffner, French curator at the Musée de l'Homme who disagreed with the Hornbostel–Sachs system of classification of musical instruments and developed his own system in 1932

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)