Surname Schäfermeyer - Meaning and Origin
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Schäfermeyer: What does the surname Schäfermeyer mean?
The last name Schäfermeyer is derived from German and translates to “shepherd’s meadow” or “meadow of the shepherd”. It is likely that bearers of this name during the Middle Ages were associated with shepherding sheep and tending to the meadow.
The Schäfermeyer family hails from Germany where it has been around since at least the 17th century. The first recorded bearer of the name was Hans Schäfermeyer, a shipping master from Hamburg who was born in 1685. Hans is an ancestor of many of the Schäfermeyers in Germany today.
Most of the Schäfermeyers live in Westphalia, near the areas of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. There is also a significant Schäfermeyer diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia, and countries of South America. In the United States, the Schäfermeyer families are known to be particularly numerous in the state of Pennsylvania.
The etymology of Schäfermeyer is a reflection of Germany’s pastoral history during a much simpler time. It stands today as a testament to those who were the shepherds and farmers of centuries past.
Order DNA origin analysisSchäfermeyer: Where does the name Schäfermeyer come from?
The last name Schäfermeyer is most commonly found in Germany today. According to a 2020 name study originating from the Historisches Museum Schloss Rheydt-Mülheim der Stadt Mönchengladbach, there are approximately 602 Schäfermeyer's living in Germany. Most of which are located in the states of Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz.
The surname Schäfermeyer is derived from an occupational name, and it is a combination of the German words "schaefer" meaning shepherd and "meyer" meaning mayor. The earliest known use of the surname was by a Conrad Schäfermeyer, born in Niedermendig, Germany, in 1553.
Throughout Germany, there are many places that are named after this surname, such as Schäfermeyersmühle in the district of Stolberg, and Schäfermeyer-Ort in Rhineland-Pfalz. The name can also be found in the Netherlands and the United States, with most of these families choosing to emigrate in either the 1800s or 1900s.
Today, Schäfermeyer is a relatively common surname in Germany, and the frequency of the Schäfermeyer last name in Germany is estimated to be at an average of 2 people per 10,000 inhabitants.
Variations of the surname Schäfermeyer
Schäfermeyer is a German-language surname derived from "Schäfer", the German word for "shepherd". Common variants of this surname include Schaefermeyer, Schafermeyer, Schaefermeir, Schafermeir, Schäfermeir, and Schafermeir.
Some other variants of Schäfermeyer include Schafermeier, Schaefermeier, Schäfermeier, Schafermeyers, Schaerermeier, Schäffermeier, Schaeremeyer, Schaeffermayer, Schaeffermayr, Schaeffermeir, Schaeffermeyer, Schaeffermayr, Schaeffmeyers, and Shafermeir. Spelling variants such as Schiffermeir, Schiffermeier, and Schüffermeier are also known.
Some Schäfermeyer families also carried a hyphenated version of their original surname such as Schäfer-Meyer or Schafer-Meyer.
Additionally, names derived from Schäfermeyer, such as Schafermeijer, Schaafmeyer, Schafermaier, Schafermeijer, Schaefermayer, Schaefermeyer, Schafamayer, Schaffhermaier, Schafermeijer, Schaefermayer, Schaefermeijer, Schafenmeyer, Scheffermann, and Schaefermann, are also quite common.
Overall, the Schäfermeyer family is versatile with many variants, whether you are looking for the traditional spelling or something a bit more unique.
Famous people with the name Schäfermeyer
- Janina Schäfermeyer: Janina Schäfermeyer is a German former ski jumper and Olympic champion. She won the gold medal in the normal hill gold in the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was a three-time winner of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup and two-time overall World Cup champion.
- Ronald Schäfermeyer: Ronald Schäfermeyer is a former professional football player and current youth coach from Germany. He is the head of the youth coaching at Eintracht Frankfurt and has coached several successful teams in the German Bundesliga.
- Wolf-Dieter Schäfermeyer: Wolf-Dieter Schäfermeyer is a German Paralympic athlete, having competed at six Paralympic Games and winning one gold medal in 1976 in the 4x100 m relay. He has also won several medals at the World Championships in Athletics, the European Championships in Athletics, and the World Para Athletics Championships during his career.
- Lisa Schäfermeyer: Lisa Schäfermeyer is a German former competitive figure skater. She is the four-time German national champion and a three-time European medalist. She also competed at five World Championships and represented Germany at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
- Ludwig Schäfermeyer: Ludwig Schäfermeyer was a German composer and music professor who wrote over 500 works during his lifetime. He was also an accomplished educator, having taught at the University of Leipzig and other universities in Germany. He also taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
- Christa Schäfermeyer: Christa Schäfermeyer is a German former artistic gymnast. She is the 1996 Olympic bronze medalist and the 1998 world champion on the vault. She also won the silver medal with the team at the 1995 World Championships and seven medals in other international competitions.