Schmeling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Schmeling is a Westphalian-German nickname. Such surnames were very common in Westphalia. They were adapted from traditional eke-names, or added names, that described physical characteristics of their bearers. Schmeling is a hereditary surname for a person who was either wild or clamorous. The name was originally derived from the German word "schel," which means "noisy" or "loud."

Early Origins of the Schmeling family

The surname Schmeling was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the German nation. As early as 1526 they had their seat at the manor Schellenberg near Essen.

Early History of the Schmeling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schmeling research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1562, 1620, 1648, 1680, 1701, 1763, 1774, 1775, 1808, 1809 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Schmeling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schmeling Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Schmeling include Schell, Schelle, Schelling, Scheller and others.

Early Notables of the Schmeling family

Notables of the period with the name Schmeling were Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (ca. 1620-1680), an Austrian composer and violinist ; Johann Schelle (1648-1701), a German Baroque composer; Friedrich Wilhelm von Schelling (1775-1854, ennobled...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schmeling Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schmeling Ranking

In the United States, the name Schmeling is the 12,526^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Schmeling migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Schmeling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. C. F. Schmeling, who arrived in North America in 1843 with his wife Karoline and their children Charlotte, Dorothea, Karoline, Ernestine, Joachim and Ferdinand
Job Christoph Friedrich Schmeling, aged 39, who landed in America in 1843 2
Wilhelmine Schmeling, aged 33, who arrived in America in 1843 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Schmeling (post 1700) +

Dorothy Schmeling, American political activist
Gertrud Elisabeth Schmeling (1749-1833), birth name of Gertrud Elisabeth Mara, a German operatic soprano
Karsten Schmeling (b. 1962), German three-time gold and silver medalist rower in the 1980s
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried "Max" Schmeling (1905-2005), German boxing legend who defeated Joe Louis in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, World Heavyweight Champion (1930-1932), after the war, he and Joe Lewis became close friends until his death

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)