Surname Schafferhans - Meaning and Origin
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Schafferhans: What does the surname Schafferhans mean?
The last name Schafferhans is of German origin, derived from the Old German words ‘scaf’, meaning ‘shepherd’, and ‘hans’, meaning ‘John’. The literal translation is ‘Shepherd John’. This surname was most likely adopted by someone who worked as a sheep herder, or worked in some capacity in a flock or herd of animals in the distant past.
In the middle ages, it was quite common for people to adopt surnames that described their trade or profession. This made sense at the time, as most people shared the same first name, so it was often necessary to distinguish one person from another. This is likely how the last name Schafferhans originated. Over time, it has served as a marker of membership in a family line, even if its etymology is no longer immediately recognizable.
The name may also have been populated in certain areas due to migration. In Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking countries, the surname is quite popular and is associated with both religious and professional significance.
Those bearing the last name Schafferhans may still have close ties to their original homeland, and many can identify with the notions of loyalty, duty, and hard work that it firmly implies.
Order DNA origin analysisSchafferhans: Where does the name Schafferhans come from?
The last name Schafferhans is most commonly found in Germany today. Within the country, it is especially concentrated in the southern part, particularly in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Although there are other possible origins for the name, it is thought to be derived from the Swabian term “Schaferhanz”, which means “shepherd’s hand” and was likely given to those who served as a shepherd in medieval times.
Other areas of Central Europe, such as the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol and the Swiss canton of Graubünden, also have a higher prevalence of the Schafferhans surname. Beyond that, the name is spread throughout the world, including North and South America, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
In comparison to other last names, Schafferhans is considered to be relatively rare. In Germany, it ranks at #3,860, falling somewhere in the middle of the rankings. In the United Kingdom, it is even rarer, ranking #49,719 out of millions of surnames. Outside of these countries, it is even more uncommon and so there are only a few families that share this unique surname.
Variations of the surname Schafferhans
Schafferhans is a German surname, which usually appears in its original spelling. Its variants include Schäferhans, Schäfferhans, Schafferhahn, and Schaefferhans. It has also been encountered in the variants Schaefferhahn, Schäferhann, Schaefferhan, Schaeferhaus, Schaeferhan, Schaefferhaan, and Schaefferhaa.
The origin of this name is from the Middle High German words shaffer and hans, meaning a shepherd (or herdsman) and a form of the given name Johann (John). Therefore, Schafferhans commonly refers to "John the Shepherd." It is believed that the name originates from the Dutch Low Saxon term “schaeffer” and ‘haus’, meaning shepherd's house.
Schafferhans combines elements of German, Dutch, Low Saxon and Old High German. Other surnames that may be derived from the same root include Schaeferhon, Shaferhans, Schäfferhahn, Schaefferhann, Schaeferhoe, Schaeferhaun, Schaefferhaan, Schaefferhau, Shaefferhans, Schaeferhous, Schaefershans and Schaefershaun.
In North America, Schafferhans is sometimes Americanized to Schaeffer or Schaffer, and the Blacksburg, Virginia branch of the Schafferhans family is known as Schaefer. The Dutch variant of this surname, Schaeffer or Schaefer, is the more common spelling used in the United States.
The Swedish version of the name is also found and is spelled Skäfverhans. Skafverhans is taken from the Old High German word skäfes, which means a spade. This variation of the surname is more commonly found in Northern America and Scandinavia.
Therefore, despite its relatively simple spelling, the Schafferhans surname can have quite a variety of spellings, depending upon the culture and language of the region in which it is being used.
Famous people with the name Schafferhans
- Jürgen Schäfferhans: German actor, most notably known for his role as Maggane in the popular German sitcom "Rosenheim-Cops"
- Christoph Schäfferhans: German Mayor of Traunreut in Bavaria since 2012
- Wolfgang Schäfferhans: renowned German writer known for his travel books about South America
- Johann Schäfferhans: Austrian sculptor and writer
- Hans Schäfferhans: German Olympic fencer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Paul Schäfferhans: German-born American physicist and discoverer of the element glucinium
- Luise Schäfferhans: German actress who starred in the silent film "Haben oder nicht haben"
- Hedwig Schäfferhans: German-born Swiss writer, most notably known for her children's book "Conny und die Hasenbande"
- Cosima Schäfferhans: German anthropologist who is most famous for her studies of the Chinese population in the Xinjiang Province
- Otto Schäfferhans: German inventor, most notably known for his work in the development of digital cryptography algorithms
- Andreas Schäfferhans: German musician, known for his works within the classical music genre
- Dieter Schäfferhans: German entrepreneur and interior designer, most famous for founding the furniture design company Picanova +
- Antje Schäfferhans: German opera singer and composer
- Tanja Schäfferhans: Swiss artist, architect and fashion designer
- Julia Schäfferhans: German actress, most notably known for her role as Heather in the television series "Schneller Heiner"
- Katharina Schäfferhans: German television presenter, most famous for her show "Es ist dein Tag"
- Laetitia Schäfferhans: Belgian actress, most notably known for her role as Cécile in the popular French movie "Le Gout du Bonheur"
- Martin Schäfferhans: Swiss professor of philosophy at the University of Basel
- Alfred Schäfferhans: German-born American television director, most famous for directing the popular American television series "Frasier"
- Elisabeth Schäfferhans: Hungarian-born American pianist and music educator, most famously known for her performances in the United States' National Recital Hall in Washington D.C.