Contents [hide]

Schlegel History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Schlegel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Saxony, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Germany, is the esteemed birthplace of the Schlegel family. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. This happened later in Germany than in most other European countries and surnames were not introduced in the German duchies until after the 12th century. The manner in which Schlegel became a hereditary surname is extremely interesting because it was initially a name of an occupation. Occupational surnames date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent, that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became hereditary surnames.

Early Origins of the Schlegel family

The surname Schlegel was first found in the Anhalt region of ancient Saxony, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a major contributor to the political development of the nation. Chronicles first mention Wolbero Slegel of Cologne in 1142, and the knight Herman Slegel of Bavaria in 1309.

Early History of the Schlegel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schlegel research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1719, 1749, 1767, 1821, 1845 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Schlegel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schlegel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Schlegel, Schlegell, Schlegele, Slegel and others.

Early Notables of the Schlegel family

Prominent bearers of the family name Schlegel at this time were

Johann Elias Schlegel (1719-1749), who as a German poet and essayist was one of the first in Germany to encourage interest in Shakespeare

Schlegel Ranking

In the United States, the name Schlegel is the 5,766^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Schlegel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Schlegel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christoph Schlegel, who landed in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1700 2
Christopher Schlegel, who arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1701
Johannes Schlegel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1737
Ernst Schlegel, who arrived in America in 1738
Anna Schlegel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Schlegel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Schlegel, aged 48, who arrived in America in 1839 2
Gustav Schlegel, who landed in New York, NY in 1849 2
August Wilhelm Schlegel, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
Louis Schlegel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
Julius Schlegel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Schlegel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Schlegel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Catherina Schlegel, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Christoff Schlegel, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Margereta Schlegel, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Mathias Schlegel, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757

Schlegel Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johann Val Schlegel, who arrived in Quebec in 1850
Johann Valentin Schlegel, who landed in Quebec in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Schlegel (post 1700) +

John P. Schlegel S.J. (1943-2015), American academic, 23rd President of Creighton University from 2000 to 2011
Albert L. Schlegel, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8½ aerial victories
Verne J. Schlegel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1944 3
Henry W. Schlegel, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania at-large, 1918, 1920; Delegate to Socialist National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1920 3
Henry Schlegel, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1899 3
Johann Adolf Schlegel (1721-1793), German poet and clergyman
Hans Wilhelm Schlegel (b. 1951), German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions 4
Hermann Schlegel (1804-1884), German ornithologist
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772-1829), German poet and philosopher
August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767-1845), German poet
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Schlegel family +

SS Atlantic

Catherine Schlegel, Swiss traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Child 1 Schlegel, Swiss traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Child 2 Schlegel, Swiss traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Child 3 Schlegel, Swiss traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Child 4 Schlegel, Swiss traveler who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
... (Another 5 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, November 19) Hans Schlegel. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/schlegel.html