Surname Sachau - Meaning and Origin
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Sachau: What does the surname Sachau mean?
The last name Sachau is of Germanic origin and has several possible meanings. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "sacho," meaning "brave," or from the Old German word "sacc," meaning "sword" or "blade." It is also likely that Sachau is a contracted form of the name "Zacharius," which is a derivative of the Hebrew name "Zechariah," meaning "God remembers."
The earliest recorded use of the surname Sachau is from the German village of Rutterhausen, located in the Rhineland, dating back to the fifteenth century. It is also found in Saxony and Wurttemberg. Throughout the centuries, the surname Sachau has spread throughout Germany and Europe, as well as to America, with hundreds of people bearing the name documented in the United States.
Today, the surname Sachau is found in many countries around the world, from Germany and Austria to the United States and Canada. It is still very common in Germany and Austria, and a substantial number of people with the surname have been documented living in the United States and Canada.
Order DNA origin analysisSachau: Where does the name Sachau come from?
The surname "Sachau" is common today primarily in Germany, with some additional bearers in surrounding countries in Northern Europe. According to the German genealogy website Verwandt.de, the name is most commonly found in the country's western regions, especially around Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate. However, there are also Sachau family members in areas farther south, in states like Bavaria and Thuringia, as well as other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.
The first recorded mention of the surname is in 1576 in the northwest of Germany, near the town of Altona in what is now Hamburg. According to Verwandt.de, the name comes from a personal name, Sachau or Sachovo, which are derived from the Slavic elements sak or sach (meaning 'harmony, joy') and How (meaning 'hill, mound, tumulus').
Despite its German roots, there are also records of the surname further afield. In the Agriculture Census for the United States 1880, eleven individuals living in different parts of the country bear the name, and there is evidence that the name has survived outside of Europe. According to verwandt.de, in Brazil in 1972, there were about 20 people who had "Sachau" as part of their name.
Overall, with its German roots and presence in other parts of the world, Sachau is still a fairly common surname today.
Variations of the surname Sachau
The surname Sachau is of German origin and is derived from the name of multiple places in Germany, which were named after a person called Sachau, Sachow or Sackow. Generally, the surname is spelled Sachau, but other variants of the same surname include Sachow, Sackow, Sachsow, Sackau, Sachsau, Sachso, Sachsoff, Sacksow, Sachhof and Sachhau.
It is also common for spelling variations to be used in different dialects and countries. In some parts of Germany, and Austria, alternatively spelled surnames like Sechau, Sachoff and Zacau can also be found.
In some regions the surname has morphed into other surnames with similar sounds, for example Sachs, and in some Swedish regions Sachsen is a well-used variant of the original surname.
Surnames that are derived from Sachau include Scofield, Sachman, Sachsinger, Sachsel and Sachberger. These surnames have strong links to the original name, Sachau, and are often used interchangeably in some regions.
In other regions the original spelling of the surname has remained the same, or similarly spelled, such as Sacha, Sasha, Sachov, Saguin and Sagiin.
The exact origins and meanings of the surname are not known for certain, but it is likely that Sachau originated as a topographic name that was used to identify people who lived in a specific area. It is also believed that the term Sachau described a settlement on a sloping hill, or referred to a local stream.
Famous people with the name Sachau
- Friedrich Max Müller (1823-1900), German philologist and Orientalist
- Ernst Wilhelm von Sachau (1845-1930), German Arabist, philologist, epigraphist, historian
- Michael Sachau (1918-1991), German theater director
- Dieter Sachau (1937-2016), German actor, director
- Harry Sachau (b. 1950), German Olympic swimmer
- Orla Sachau (b. 1964), Danish presenter
- Grethe Sachau (b. 1966), Norwegian theater actress
- Michael Sachau (b. 1967), German computer scientist
- Jens Sachau (b. 1968), German film director
- Traute Sachau (b. 1974), German fashion designer
- Ines Sachau (b. 1987), German actress in theater and television
- Kristina Sachau (b. 1992), German football player