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The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Schimmel. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known in Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany, provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Schimmel family.
The surname Schimmel was first found in Prussia and Silesia, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of these regions which were settled by many German tribes. They emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schimmel research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1808, 1813, 1817, 1841, 1850 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Schimmel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Schimmel include Schramme, Schram, Schramke (southern Germany) and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Schimmel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Schimmel is the 11,637th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Schimmel is ranked the 724th most popular surname with an estimated 2,596 people with that name. 2
Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Schimmel or a variant listed above: