Show ContentsHaeffner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Haeffner surname comes from the Middle High German words "hafner," or "hafen," meaning "pot," or "dish." As such, Haeffner was originally an occupational name for a potter.

Early Origins of the Haeffner family

The surname Haeffner was first found in Austria and southern Bavaria, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early modern Europe. The family became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses. These played important roles in local political conflicts, in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Hugo Hafinare of Constance in the year 1158, Uli Hafner (Haefeli) of the Aargau region in 1490, and Hueglin Haffner of Kirchheim in 1406. Chronicles also mention an ancient branch of the family whose members were knights of the Kingdom of Styria from 1310 to 1478.

Early History of the Haeffner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haeffner research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1631, 1640, 1702, 1735, 1741, 1759, 1764, 1776, 1782, 1833 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Haeffner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haeffner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Haffner, Hafner, Haafner, Hafener, Haffener, Haeffner, Heffner, Haefner, Hefner, Haefeli (Swiss) and many more.

Early Notables of the Haeffner family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Haeffner were

  • Johann Christian Friedrich Haeffner (1759-1833), born in Ober-Schoenau, held the post of conductor for the Swedish Royal Opera and the Royal Orchestra in Stockholm...


United States Haeffner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Haeffner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Henry Haeffner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 [1]


  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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