Surname Steigner - Meaning and Origin
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Steigner: What does the surname Steigner mean?
The last name Steigner is of German origin. However, the specific meaning of the surname isn't directly documented or entirely clear. It appears to be a derivative from the Middle High German term "steigen," which means "to climb," or "to rise." So, it may have been used to denote a person living on a high place or an area of high ground, or perhaps someone who climbed for a living, e.g., a steeplejack or a mountaineer. Surnames often related to a person’s occupation, location, or a character trait. It's also important to remember that surnames could alter significantly as families moved to different regions or countries, often being spelled phonetically or based on how they sound in the new local language. As such, Steigner could be a variation of other similar sounding German surnames. Additionally, families sometimes changed their names to distance themselves from certain associations or to fit in better with the local populace. Therefore, while the origins of Steigner seem to trace back to German-speaking areas, as with any surname, the specific meaning could vary widely depending on a particular family's history.
Order DNA origin analysisSteigner: Where does the name Steigner come from?
The last name Steigner is quite rare and is mostly found today in the United States. There are approximately 500 Steigner families currently living in the U.S.
The exact origin of the name Steigner is unknown, but it is believed to have been derived from the Middle German word for "stone". The Steigners were most likely stone masons who moved from Germany to the U.S. during the early 1800s.
The family name first appears in records from New York City in 1831 when Johann and Maria Reif Steigner arrived with their children. Derivations of the spelling also appear in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Iowa. As the Steigner family made its way west, the surname became more common in states such as Idaho, Oregon, California, and Washington.
In Europe, the Steigner name is found primarily in Bavaria, a state in the southeastern area of Germany. It is unclear if this Steigner family is related to the original German-American Steigners, but it is highly likely that they are part of the same ancient Bavarian family.
The Steigner name is not an overly common one today and with fewer than 500 known Steigner households in the U.S., chances are that if you meet someone with the surname Steigner today, you will be meeting a distant relative!
Variations of the surname Steigner
The surname Steigner is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German term “steiner”, which means “stone”. Other spellings and variants of the surname Steigner are
Stainer, Steiner, Steygner, and Stein- bar. These are all variations of the same surname and have the same German origin.
The variants of Steigner can sometimes be found in documents issued in a different area or by different authorities, which can be found across Europe and in the United States. In the United States, a commonly seen variant is Stainer. This variation is commonly seen in Pennsylvania and New York, but can also be found in Midwest and Other states such as Minnesota and Kentucky.
The surname Steigner can also be seen in its plural form as Steigners or Stainers. The plural of Steigner can be found in a few different places. In Pennsylvania, the Steigners were early settlers and prominent farmers. In New York, Stainers could be found residing near Syracuse and in other parts of the state as well.
The Steigner surname can also be found in Austria and Switzerland. In Austria, the variant Steygner is commonly seen, whereas in Switzerland the Stainer variant is more common.
The Steigner and Stainer surnames are also found in other parts of Europe such as Ireland, Scotland, France, Poland and the Netherlands. The Steigner surname can also be found in Latin America, particularly in areas such as Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.
Famous people with the name Steigner
- Rudi Steigner: Rudi Steigner was an Austrian football manager who managed teams in Austria, Germany and Italy. He won the Bundesliga title with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1974-75.
- Jayne Marie Steigner: Jayne Marie is a golfer who has competed on the LPGA Tour, the Champions Tour and in Women's Senior Golf events since the mid-1970s. She won nine LPGA Tour events through the end of the 2009 season.
- Peter Steigner: Peter Steigner is a German cinematographer who has worked on over 200 films and television shows. His credits include movies such as Go Trabi Go and TV series such as Das Boot.
- Frauke Steigner: Frauke Steiger is a German folk singer and singer-songwriter who is well known for her participation in an annual Christmas concert in her native city of Bielefeld.
- Guido Steigner: Guido Steigner was a German footballer who played for several clubs in Europe in the 1970s and 80s. He was known for his accurate passing as well as for his eye for goal.
- Lothar Steigner: Lothar Steigner was a German composer and Hamburg Music School professor who composed works for organ, choir, and orchestra. He also published a number of textbooks on musical notation and theory.
- Siegfried Steigner: Siegfried Steigner was a German politician who served as the mayor of Kassel from 1981 to 1992. He was active in local politics for many years and was a staunch supporter of the German Democratic Republic.