Show ContentsSteinfeld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The long and noble heritage behind the name of Steinfeld first began in medieval Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Steinfeld family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Steinfeld literally means "stone" [1] and was an occupational name for a stone cutter. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word stein, meaning stone. In some cases the name may be topographical in nature and derive from the fact the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or rock.

Early Origins of the Steinfeld family

The surname Steinfeld was first found in Austria, in the cities of Berne and Neuchatel, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in regional political struggles for power. They branched into many houses in Austria, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Steinfeld family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steinfeld research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1796, 1809, 1810, 1820, 1838, 1863 and 1935 are included under the topic Early Steinfeld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steinfeld 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 Steinfeld include Steiner, Steinert, Steinertz, Steinerth, Steinere, Stein, Steine and many more.

Early Notables of the Steinfeld family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steinfeld Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Steinfeld migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Steinfeld or a variant listed above:

Steinfeld Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • C F M Steinfeld, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 [2]
  • Ernestine Steinfeld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [2]
  • Sophia Steinfeld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [2]
  • Jacob Steinfeld, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1851 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Steinfeld (post 1700) +

  • Sam Steinfeld (b. 1907), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1940, 1956; Chief Justice of Kentucky State Supreme Court [3]


  1. Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
  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, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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