Seefeld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Germany

The Seefeld surname is a habitational name from any of numerous places named so named. These place names Seefeld, are derived from the Middle High German words "se," meaning "lake," and "velt," which describes open country.

Early Origins of the Seefeld family

The surname Seefeld was first found in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs. Seefeldt is also connected to several place names in the Holstein region.

Early History of the Seefeld family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seefeld research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1324 and 1393 are included under the topic Early Seefeld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seefeld 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 Seefeld include Seefeldt, Seefeldte, Seefelldt, Sefeldt, Seefeldts, Seefeldtes, Seefeld, Seefelt, Seafeldt, Seafelt and many more.

Early Notables of the Seefeld family

Notables of the time included

the Seefeldt family of Hamburg

Seefeld migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Seefeld Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henriette Seefeld, aged 52, who landed in America in 1839 1

Citations +

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)