Scharer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Scharer comes from the German region of Westphalia. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to Germany after the 12th century, and the names of places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," which was originally an indicator of land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Scharer family originally lived in Saxony. The original bearer of the name Scharer was a person that was born or that had lived in the region of Lower (northern) Saxony, which is essentially the modern German state named Saxony. This name would have been given to the original bearer of the name after they had migrated from Lower Saxony to another region of Germany, namely Westphalia. The Saxons, who were a Germanic tribe, dwelled in northern Germany and along the Baltic coast during the Roman era. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Saxons migrated south and west. By the 5th century, the Saxon and Angle tribes held most of England. The Saxon language became one of the precursors of the English language.

Early Origins of the Scharer family

The surname Scharer was first found in Westphalia, 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 that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Scharer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scharer research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1779 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Scharer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scharer 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 Scharer include Sasse, Sass, Sasser, Sase, Saser, Sassen, Sasen, Zasse, Zasser and many more.

Early Notables of the Scharer family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scharer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scharer 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:

Scharer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Scharer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Nicolaus Scharer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 1
Hans Casper Scharer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 1

Scharer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Scharer, who arrived in New York in 1830 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Scharer (post 1700) +

Gene Scharer, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Arizona 3rd District, 2000 2
Wilhelm "Willy" Schärer (1903-1982), Swiss silver medalist middle distance runner at the 1924 Olympics
Peter Schärer, Swiss three-time gold medalist bobsledder
Erich Schärer (b. 1946), Swiss eight-time gold medalist bobsledder
Céline Schärer (1990-2010), Swiss triathlete, National U23 Champion in 2010 and member of the National Team

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html