Show ContentsSteffens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German name Steffens, was formed from the given name Steffen, which comes from the Greek "Stephanos," meaning "crown." Versions of this name are numerous throughout Christian Europe due to the martyr St. Steven.

Early Origins of the Steffens family

The surname Steffens was first found in Prussia, where the name gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging feudal society that would shape Europe. It later became more prominent as many branches of the house migrated and acquired foreign estates, some in such distant lands as Utrecht in Holland. Members of this family constantly improved their social status through their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Steffens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steffens research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1616, 1773, 1811, 1832, 1842, 1845 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Steffens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steffens Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Steffens include Steffens, Stefens, Steven, Stefan, Steffan, Steffe, Steffen, Stephan, Stoffen, Steffl, Steffensen, Stephansen, Stilfens, Stilphen, Stilphens and many more.

Early Notables of the Steffens family

Notable figures of the time with the name Steffens were

  • Johann Steffens (1560-1616), a German composer, who wrote German madrigals and dance-songs, as well as sacred and instrumental pieces...
  • Also notable was Henrik Steffens (1773-1845), a German author-philosopher of Norwegian extraction, who moved to Germany after his controversial lectures at the University of Copenhagen earned him the...
  • Steffens fought for the German army during the Napoleonic Wars and served as professor of physics at Breslau (1811-1832) and at Berlin (1832-1845)...
  • Theories of Henrik Steffens greatly influenced the thinking of Schelling and Schleiermacher...

Steffens Ranking

In the United States, the name Steffens is the 7,716th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Steffens migration to the United States +

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 Steffens were

Steffens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Michael Steffens, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1787
  • Hans Michael Steffens, aged 29, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1787 [2]
Steffens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Gerhard S Steffens, aged 33, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 [2]
  • M Cath Steffens, who arrived in America in 1845 [2]
  • Marg Steffens, aged 33, who landed in Brazil in 1846 [2]
  • Margareta Steffens, who arrived in Brazil in 1846 [2]
  • Mr. Richard Steffens, aged 37, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Element", died in 1847
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Steffens (post 1700) +

  • Lincoln Steffens (1866-1936), American journalist and political philosopher, editor of "McClure's Magazine" and the leading figure among the writers whom Theodore Roosevelt called muckrakers
  • Walter C. Steffens, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Macomb County 2nd District, 1944; Candidate for Michigan State Senate 11th District, 1954 [3]
  • Richard J. Steffens, American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly from Winnebago County 2nd District; Elected 1948 [3]
  • Richard A. Steffens, American Republican politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Senate 19th District, 1950 [3]
  • Claud P. Steffens, American politician, Mayor of Bozeman, Montana, 1932-33 [3]
  • Christopher Steffens, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 17th District, 1906 [3]
  • Mrs. Caroline Steffens B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to Vulnerable People in Devon


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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