Surname Hexelschneider - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Hexelschneider: What does the surname Hexelschneider mean?
The last name Hexelschneider is a German surname derived from the words “Hexel” and “Schneider.” The name translates to “Hexel Tailor” and likely referred to a tailor who specialized in making clothing from Hexel, a traditional kind of German cloth. The cloth is made by purifying and hardening wool and is used to make everything from jackets to hats to blankets. Although more recently Hexel has started to be made from other fabrics, at one point it was all made from sheep’s wool.
The Hexelschneider family likely traces its roots back centuries and may have been among the first people to make clothing from Hexel cloth. Throughout the centuries, the family has likely carried on the tradition, with each generation learning the art of tailoring from their ancestors. Nowadays, it is likely that the Hexelschneider family carries on the tradition albeit in a more modern form, making garments from contemporary fabrics.
Hexelschneider is a surname that has withstood the test of time and continues to pass on the knowledge and skill of crafting garments. To every Hexel Tailor’s mind and hand, the modern Hexelschneider is no doubt the continuance of a storied tradition.
Order DNA origin analysisHexelschneider: Where does the name Hexelschneider come from?
The last name Hexelschneider is found throughout Europe today, but is most commonly found in Germany. In the 2018 German census, late records show that the Hexelschneider surname was most frequently found in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. This region is located in western Germany and is the area formerly occupied by the Palatine Electorship. The Hexelschneider last name has been present in this area for an extended period of time, likely since the 13th century.
The Hexelschneider name can also be found in Austria and in countries such as the United States and Canada that once comprised parts of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Records from Ellis Island show that in the 19th century, immigrants with the Hexelschneider surname arrived in the U.S. from Greater Austria, about 1,700 kilometers southeast of Rhineland-Palatinate.
In modern times, the Hexelschneider surname may be found in other countries of Europe where German immigration has taken place in the past. There is evidence of Hexelschneider descendants living in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, parts of Italy, and Belgium.
Overall, while the last name Hexelschneider is less common today and has changed slightly in spelling over the centuries, it is still present in many countries. The most likely places to find it remain Germany, Austria, parts of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and those countries of Europe where German immigration has flourished in past centuries.
Variations of the surname Hexelschneider
The Hexelschneider surname is an old Bavarian surname from Germany. The surname is derived from the occupation of a “Hexelschneider” which is someone who carved stone into certain shapes and patterns, usually for decorative purposes. The various spellings of this uncommon name include Hegele Schneider, Hegro Schneider, Heilaschneider, Heilscheider, Hexel Schneider, Hexl Schneider, Hexelesneider, Hexelsneider, Hexelschneider, Hezel Schneider and Heilscheiderer.
Due to migration, the Hexelschneider surname has taken many different variants, due to spelling differences between countries and languages. One of the more common variants is Heilknecht or Heilignknecht which roughly translates to “Servant of the Good.” Other variations include Heiligentreger, Heilgninneringer, Heilgprinzinger, Heilgnkirchinger and Heilgnknecht.
The Hexelschneider surname is not very common, however there is a plethora of potentially related surnames with similar spellings. Commonly associated surnames include Heiliger, Heilmann, Heilbrunner, and Heiligman. The Hexelschneider surname is sometimes mistakenly spelled with an "s" in place of the "x" and is then spelled Hexleschneider.
Due to the rarity of the name, there are few if any notable or famous people with the surname Hexelschneider. However, the variant Heiligman was actually used by a certain branch of the Hessian royal family, who descended from Ernst Heiligman, the court preacher of Calenberg, Lower Saxony in 1651.
The last name Hexelschneider is a unique piece of Bavarian history and has since evolved and changed due to migration, spelling differences and of course, marriage. It can be difficult to trace the history of the name, however, the vast variety of potential variants makes the search easier for those interested in learning more about the unique heritage of the Hexelschneider surname.
Famous people with the name Hexelschneider
- Dr. Philipp Hexelschneider: founder, managing director of Xenolight GmbH, a photonics company in Germany.
- Kenneth Hexelschneider: Executive Director of the International Food Information Council and the Board of International Nutrition Innovation.
- Karl Hexelschneider: influential German botanist and mycologist.
- Carol Hexelschneider: an American professor and writer specializing in neuroscience at Lehman College.
- Erich Hexelschneider: a German journalist and editor in chief of the German magazine Der Spiegel.
- Paul Hexelschneider: an American mathematician specializing in number theory and algebraic geometry at MIT.
- Richard Hexelschneider: an Austrian physician known for his work on kidney diseases.
- Peter Hexelschneider: an Austrian-born American physicist specializing in the study of cosmology and particle physics.
- Michael Hexelschneider: a German-American historian at the University of Oregon, focusing on the history of Germany and the Holocaust.
- Alexander Hexelschneider: a German-born American lawyer specializing in civil and business litigation in California.