Show ContentsSchonherr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Schonherr surname is derived from the Upper German word "schöne," which means "beautiful."

Early Origins of the Schonherr family

The surname Schonherr was first found in Prussia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging society. They became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, always elevating their social status and influence by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Schonherr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schonherr research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1586, 1765, 1773, 1856, 1860 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Schonherr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schonherr 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 Schonherr include Schoen, Schoene, Schon, Schone, Schoenemann, Shoneman, Schoeneman and many more.

Early Notables of the Schonherr family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schonherr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Schonherr family

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 Schonherr were Maria Cathrina Schoen, age 38, a Palatine emigrant who arrived in England in 1709 with her four children, perhaps on route to America; Georg Schon, whose Oath of Allegiance was recorded in Pennsylvania in 1744.


Contemporary Notables of the name Schonherr (post 1700) +

  • Christoph Schönherr (b. 1952), German composer and lecturer
  • Eva Schönherr (b. 1953), German actress, film maker, and author [1]
  • Max Schönherr (1903-1968), Austrian composer and conductor
  • Dietmar Schönherr (b. 1926), Austrian actor, presenter, and writer
  • Carl Johan Schönherr (1772-1848), Swedish entomologist

Hindenburg LZ-129
  • Mr. Kurt Schönherr (1893-1937), German Helmsman from Frankfurt, Germany, who worked on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire [2]


  1. Eva Schönherr. (Retrieved 2011, July 14) Eva Schönherr. Retrieved from http://evaschoenherr.com/
  2. Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook