Schaal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Schaal family name comes from the from Middle High German word "schal," which means "noise," or "bragging," and as such is was thought to have originally been a nickname for a braggart, or for a market crier. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics.

Early Origins of the Schaal family

The surname Schaal was first found in the ancient Rhineland, where this family name became associated with a notable aristocratic line of the city of Cologne. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. Chronicles mention one Robert Schallo as early as 1150.

Early History of the Schaal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schaal research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1387, 1592, 1666, 1745 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Schaal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schaal Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Schaal include Schall, Schaal, Schal, Schaell, Schael, Schalle, Schaller, Schallin and many more.

Early Notables of the Schaal family

More information is included under the topic Early Schaal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schaal Ranking

In the United States, the name Schaal is the 8,615^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Schaal is ranked the 5,365^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Schaal migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Schaal, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Schaal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Georg Schaal, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 3
Anna Margaretha Schaal, who landed in South Carolina in 1760 3

Schaal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joh Conrd Schaal, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 3
Gottfried Schaal, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Rosins Schaal, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Friederick Schaal, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Hans George Schaal, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Schaal (post 1700) +

Paul Schaal (1943-2017), American professional baseball player who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball
François Ignace Schaal, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) FranÃ§ois Schaal. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html