Show ContentsSchimmel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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.

Early 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.

Early History of the Schimmel family

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.

Schimmel Spelling Variations

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.

Early Notables of the Schimmel family

More information is included under the topic Early Schimmel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Schimmel Ranking

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]


United States Schimmel migration to the United States +

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:

Schimmel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Georg Schimmel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 [3]
  • Peter Schimmel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1774 [3]
Schimmel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Schimmel, who arrived in Maryland in 1844 [3]
  • Anna Schimmel, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 [3]
  • Alwine Schimmel, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Schonwerder, in 1892
  • Auguste Schimmel, aged 23, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 [3]
  • Anna Schimmel, aged 10, who landed in America, in 1897
Schimmel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Annie H. Schimmel, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1905
  • E. M. Schimmel, who landed in America, in 1906
  • Bertha Schimmel, aged 20, who settled in America from Frankfurt, Germany, in 1908
  • Albert Schimmel, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Woudenberg, Holland, in 1909
  • Chaim Schimmel, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Kobyk, Austria, in 1909
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Schimmel (post 1700) +

  • Paul Schimmel (b. 1940), American biophysical chemist and translational medicine researcher
  • Robert George "Bob" Schimmel (1950-2010), American stand-up comedian
  • Henry S. Schimmel, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 4th District, 1914-17 [4]
  • Amelia Schimmel, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1940 [4]
  • Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003), German Orientalist and scholar, Professor at Harvard University (1967 to 1992)
  • Sven Schimmel (b. 1989), German footballer
  • Wilhelm Schimmel, German piano maker, co-founder of Schimmel Pianos in 1885
  • Hendrik Jan Schimmel (1823-1906), Dutch poet and novelist


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook