Show ContentsSchoonover History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Schoonover surname is derived from the Upper German word "schöne," which means "beautiful."

Early Origins of the Schoonover family

The surname Schoonover was first found in Prussia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging society. They became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, always elevating their social status and influence by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Schoonover family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schoonover research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1586, 1765, 1773, 1856, 1860 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Schoonover History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schoonover 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 Schoonover include Schoen, Schoene, Schon, Schone, Schoenemann, Shoneman, Schoeneman and many more.

Early Notables of the Schoonover family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schoonover Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schoonover Ranking

In the United States, the name Schoonover is the 4,741st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Schoonover family

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Schoonover were Maria Cathrina Schoen, age 38, a Palatine emigrant who arrived in England in 1709 with her four children, perhaps on route to America; Georg Schon, whose Oath of Allegiance was recorded in Pennsylvania in 1744.


Contemporary Notables of the name Schoonover (post 1700) +

  • Wear Kibler Schoonover (1910-1982), American actor, known for Maybe It's Love (1930)
  • Darrill Schoonover (b. 1985), American professional mixed martial artist
  • Wear Schoonover (1910-1982), American college football player, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967
  • Terry Schoonover (1951-1984), American NASCAR race car driver killed in an accident in a race of 1984 at Atlanta International Raceway
  • Ray H. Schoonover (1896-1966), American businessman and politician in the Wisconsin State Assembly
  • Lawrence Schoonover (1906-1980), American novelist, known for his books Queen's Cross, The Burnished Blade, Gentle Infidel, The Spider King, and The Prisoner of Tordesillas
  • Frank Schoonover (1877-1972), American illustrator, known for his work in the First World War for a series of souvenir prints published in the Ladies Home Journal and for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars
  • Daniel D. Schoonover (1933-1953), American soldier, posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Second Battle of Pork Chop Hill
  • Brenda Schoonover, American diplomat, 15th United States Ambassador to Togo (1997-2000)
  • Brenda Brown Schoonover (b. 1939), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Togo, 1997-2000 [2]
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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