Show ContentsSchelle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Schelle is a Westphalian-German nickname. Such surnames were very common in Westphalia. They were adapted from traditional eke-names, or added names, that described physical characteristics of their bearers. Schelle is a hereditary surname for a person who was either wild or clamorous. The name was originally derived from the German word "schel," which means "noisy" or "loud."

Early Origins of the Schelle family

The surname Schelle was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the German nation. As early as 1526 they had their seat at the manor Schellenberg near Essen.

Early History of the Schelle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schelle research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1562, 1620, 1648, 1680, 1701, 1763, 1774, 1775, 1808, 1809 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Schelle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schelle 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 Schelle include Schell, Schelle, Schelling, Scheller and others.

Early Notables of the Schelle family

Notables of the period with the name Schelle were

  • Johann Schelle (1648-1701), a German Baroque composer


United States Schelle migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Schelle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andreas Schelle, who settled in North America in 1776
  • Ludwig Schelle, who arrived in Winterhill, Massachusetts in 1778
  • Ludwig Schelle, who landed in America in 1778 [1]
  • Andreas Schelle, who landed in America in 1780 [1]
Schelle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A D Schelle, aged 21, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 [1]
  • Frederick Schelle, who arrived in Maryland in 1819 [1]
  • Lorintz Schelle, who arrived in New Jersey in 1854 [1]
  • Johan Schelle, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1862 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Schelle (post 1700) +

  • La Schelle Tarver (b. 1959), American former Major League Baseball backup outfielder for the Boston Red Sox during the 1986 season


  1. 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)


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