Surname Remscheid - Meaning and Origin

Remscheid: What does the surname Remscheid mean?

The last name Remscheid is a German locational surname originating from the city of Remscheid, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The city was first documented in 1228, and remains a major industrial center for the region today. Remscheid could be translated as "Rhein's shore," referring to the nearby Rhine River. The first recorded bearer of the name was Eberhard de Remschede, who lived in the 12th century.

Over time, the Remscheid surname variably evolved to include many spelling variations. Common versions of the name as it appears today include Reescheid, Ramscheid, Remschied, and Remsching. In countries outside Germany, like the United States, the name Remscheid is typically more common due to the increased popularity of German-American immigration to nations like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The Remscheider family crest is a handsome black shield embossed with a tall, silver tree trunk with three gold apples beneath. The tree trunk is meant to symbolized the formerly lush forests of the Remscheid region in Germany. It is an enduring reminder of Remscheid's rich heritage and evolution as a locale and German family name.

Remscheid: Where does the name Remscheid come from?

The surname Remscheid is most commonly found in Germany today. It is believed to be an occupational surname, originating in the Middle Ages in what is now the North Rhine-Westphalia state. During this time, the Rhine Valley was an important trading region and Remscheid was a small, market town in the foothills of the Bergisches Land region. It is likely that the name originated as a combination of “Reims”, meaning field or plowed land (from the German or Latin words "reiniger/remis/remes/remeis") and “Scheide”, meaning dividing line or boundary (also related to “schiesen”, meaning a barrier or separation).

The first written mention of this name is from 1445, when one Peter Remescheit was recorded as a bailiff in what is now the Moselle region of Germany. From the 1500s, records show a growing number of people bearing the Remscheid surname living in and around the Rhineland. Over time, the people of this lineage began to migrate to other parts of Germany and beyond.

Today, the surname Remscheid is most common in the regions of Bavaria, Berlin, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringa, especially in the north and east. It is also found in certain parts of countries outside Germany, such as Sweden, Norway, Russia, Austria, and Switzerland.

Variations of the surname Remscheid

The surname Remscheid can have very different spellings and variants, depending on which language or culture one is interested in. In German, the spelling is most commonly Remscheid, however, it is also sometimes spelled with a double 's': Remsscheid. In the Low German dialects, it is often spelled Reëmecke, Reemscheid, Rattemscheid or Remscheed. In Dutch, the spelling is often Renschede or Renscheid. In France, it is often rendered as Remezech or (in Picard) Remschot.

In many cases, Remscheid can also be found as a family name variant. Common examples of this include Remshaid, Remshead, Remshide and Remschied. These alternate versions are sometimes found in countries with large German-speaking populations such as the United States and Canada, or even in countries like the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Remscheid is also occasionally used as a given name. The French, German, Dutch, and English versions of this name are generally Remscheid, Remshaid, Renschede, and Remshide respectively.

Overall, the surname Remscheid is very versatile, with many different variants and spellings, both in terms of geographical areas and cultures, as well as in terms of its usage as either a given name or a family name.

Famous people with the name Remscheid

• Thomas Remscheid: German footballer
• Felix Remscheid: German cross-country skier
• Christian Remscheid: retired German tennis player
• Sandra Remscheid: German contemporary artist
• Annemarie Remscheid: German Olympic canoe slalom competitor
• Maria Remscheid: German Olympic gymnast and gold medalist
• Rudolf Remscheid: German general and last World War II commander-in-chief of the Western Front
• Konrad Remscheid: German mathematician
• Erich Remscheid: German World War II ace pilot
• Ulrike Remscheid: German professional ice dancer

Other surnames

Remscheidt