Schaefer Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Schaefer last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Schaefer last name
Meaning of the Schaefer last name: shepherd. Schaefer is the umlaut-free spelling of the German occupational surname Schäfer, meaning shepherd. It ranks among the great trade last names of German America after the mid-nineteenth century. Wool towns and upland pastures across the German states first supplied most bearers.
Arms associated with the Schaefer name
Coats of arms associated with the Schaefer name follow the German heraldic style of simple shapes and few colours, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Schaefer family history
This is only a glimpse of the Schaefer story. The full Schaefer history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Schaefer coat of arms. Get the full Schaefer report.
Schaefer name FAQ
What does the Schaefer name mean?
Shepherd. Common variants include Schäfer, Schafer.
Where does the Schaefer surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Schaefer coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Schaefer coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).