Surname Schäfl - Meaning and Origin
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Schäfl: What does the surname Schäfl mean?
The German surname Schäfl is a toponymic name, meaning it was derived from the place where an early ancestor lived or held land. The name is derived from the Middle High German terms “schaf” or “scaf” which means “sheep”, and thus refers to an ancestor who kept or raised sheep. An alternative meaning is that the name could have come from the Middle High German word “Schaffusel”, which refers to someone who works the soil with a spade.
The earliest recorded member of the Schäfl family is a man named Adelhede Scaf, who was mentioned in an accounting book in Bamberg, Germany dating back to 1237. The Schäfl family is now distributed across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Dutch and the United States of America.
The Schäfl surname is sometimes seen in a variety of forms, such as Schaefli, Schäufele and Schaufi. These spelling variations can be explained by the various dialects spoken in different regions in Europe, as well as anomalies that occasionally occurred as scribes attempted to record the original form.
Order DNA origin analysisSchäfl: Where does the name Schäfl come from?
The last name Schäfl is most common in Germany and Austria today. It is a German surname and is believed to have originated in southwestern Austria. The surname can be translated to mean "shepherd," and is likely derived from the German word "Schäfer," which has the same meaning. It is relatively uncommon in other regions of the world, although widely dispersed German immigration to other countries has led to emigrants with this chosen surname settling in new homelands.
In the United States, for example, the frequency of the name Schäfl is highest in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, but is also found in other states, such as Ohio and Illinois. In England and Wales, Schäfl is more rare, however, making up less than 0.01% of the population.
Australia contains a small population of Schäfls – the family name ranks as the 11,409th most common name in the country according to 2011 census data. Small clusters with the surname can also be found in Canada and South Africa, which may again be linked to German immigrant populations.
Overall, the last name Schäfl remains concentrated mainly in its original Germanic homeland, with small-scale distribution patterns to other countries across the world. In addition, due to the historical context of the surname, it is most likely that Schäfles in the United States and elsewhere are not related to originators of the name in Germany and Austria.
Variations of the surname Schäfl
The surname Schäfl is an Austrian-German variant of the surname Schaaf or Schäfer, which means "shepherd" in both German and Dutch. The spelling Schäfl is found mainly in Austria, southern Bavaria, and parts of Switzerland.
Variant spellings of the surname Schäfl include Scha him l, Schafer, Schaffel, Schoffer, Schaffl, Schöferl, Schöffl, and Schaeffl. In Austria, Schäfl is sometimes spelled Schäfhl.
Other variations of the family name Schäfl include Schaep, Schaepen, Schaepman, Schaepper, Schaepperle, Schaub, Schaffe, Schaffen, Schaffhauser, Schaffle, Schaier, Schalb, Schare, Schärer, and Scharf.
Common surnames originating from Schäfl include Schäffel, Schäffer, Schäffle, Schoff, Schöffer, Schöffling, Scholl, and Schollmey.
In some cases, the surname Schäfl is altered in other countries to Shafel, Schafley, Schaffle, Shafley, Shaffler, Shaffel, Shafel, Shoffer, Schafelli, or Shafell.
Famous people with the name Schäfl
- Cliff Schäfl: A professional photographer originally from Switzerland, Cliff Schäfl has worked as a freelance photographer for over 40 years.
- Caroline Schäfl-Gösser: A politician and former member of the Austrian Green Party, Caroline Schäfl-Gösser served as the Director of Research and Education at the Austrian Bar Association.
- Johanna Schäfl: A Swiss-based composer and musician, Johanna Schäfl has been actively writing and performing music since 2006.
- Marianne Schäfl: A former Olympic fencer for Switzerland, Marianne Schäfl earned the silver medal in the individual sabre competition during the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
- Theodor Schäfl: A renowned Austrian botanist, Theodor Schäfl is best known for his pioneering investigations into the structure of plant cells.
- Johann Schäfl: A renowned Austrian landscape and animal painter, Johann Schäfl is best known for his naturalistic paintings of the Austrian and Swiss Alps.
- Tony Schäfl: An Austrian-born entrepreneur and investor, Tony Schäfl is the founder and CEO of multiple venture-backed startups.
- Heinz Schäfl: An Austrian-born computer scientist, Heinz Schäfl is best known for his innovative research in the field of robotics and neural networks.
- Alexander Schäfl: A German-born singer and songwriter, Alexander Schäfl has recorded and released several hit singles and albums throughout Europe.
- Fritz Schäfl: An Austrian-born physicist, Fritz Schäfl is best known for his pioneering research into the properties of superconductivity.