Surname Scharwaechter - Meaning and Origin
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Scharwaechter: What does the surname Scharwaechter mean?
The last name Scharwaechter is a German surname meaning "watchman" or "gatekeeper." It comes from the Old German words “scara” meaning care or watchman, and “wachi” meaning warden, watchman or gatekeeper. The surname therefore likely referred to an ancestor who held a profession of some kind of guarding or protecting a place or people from external threats.
Scharwaechter is a fairly uncommon name, but can be found in records from the 19th and 20th centuries in Germany, Austria, and other German speaking parts of Europe. The name can also be found in North America, where emigrants to countries like the United States, Canada, and Mexico helped spread it.
The root of the name Scharwaechter is related to other words in German, like Scharwaechterberuf and Scharwaechterin, which refer to a profession in which a person is responsible for the security of a certain place or people. This profession was especially important in Medieval times, when monasteries, castles, and other important places were always under threat of attack from outside forces.
Today, the name is still kept alive in some form or another in parts of Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking countries around the world. Although it may be uncommon, it is still a great source of pride for those who still carry the name, and a constant reminder of the legacy of the ancestors who may be has been long forgotten.
Order DNA origin analysisScharwaechter: Where does the name Scharwaechter come from?
The last name Scharwaechter is a relatively uncommon name today, with relatively few individuals bearing it. The name is mainly found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, though there are some individuals of the name living in other countries such as Belgium, the United States, and Israel.
In Germany, Scharwaechter is mainly found in the northern part of the country including the states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, and Schleswig-Holstein. In particular, the Eastern Province of Brandenburg is home to the highest number of Scharwaechter today. Here, the name is most common in the regions of Seedorf, Karche, Spielberg, Voppen, Wiesenthau, and Kimme, though other areas such as Dresden, Berlin, and Brandenburg have some individuals of the name.
In both Austria and Switzerland, it is most frequently seen in the southeastern regions. In Austria, the last name is found mainly around Lower Austria, including Vienna and Graz, as well as around Burgenland, where it is most concentrated in Unterwart and Güssing. In Switzerland, individuals with the last name are mainly centered around the canton of St. Gallen, specifically the region of Waldstatt.
Overall, it is hard to make exact estimations of the number of people with this last name due to the limited data available, but it is clear that the Scharwaechter name is most frequently encountered in the German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Variations of the surname Scharwaechter
The surname Scharwaechter is of German origin and has many spelling variants and surnames of the same origin. Some spelling variants of the surname Scharwaechter include Scharwaechter, Scharwächter, Schawacher, Scharwacher, Scharwacher, Scharwaechter, Schawarch, Scharwechter, Scharwegter, Scharwacht, Scharachtter, Schwaechter, Schwalchter, Schawochter, Schwechter, Schawechter, Scharwackter, and Scharwatzer.
Surnames of the same origin as Scharwaechter include Scharwaechterle, Scharrwaechter, Scharwaechtere, Scharwaechtelin, Scharwaechterling, Scharwaechte, Scharwaechtkamp, Scharwaechtkampe, Scharwaeche, Scharwaechel, Scharweck, Scharwecken, Scharwaechts, Scharwaechtens, Scharwaechtermans, Scharwaechtermann, Scharwaechtermeister, and Scharwaechterer.
The surname Scharwaechter likely originated as an occupational or topographical surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a guard post or watchtower. The German word schar means “tower” and wacht or wächter refers to a “guard” or “watchman”. Therefore, the literal translation of Scharwaechter is “watchman of the tower” or “guard of the tower”.
Famous people with the name Scharwaechter
- Erich Scharwächter (German weather forecaster)
- Dieter Scharwaechter (German architect)
- Christian Scharwaechter (German artist)
- Karl Scharwaechter (Swiss lawyer)
- Paul Scharwaechter (German pianist)
- Albrecht Scharwaechter (German philosopher)
- Klaus Scharwaechter (German politician)
- Hans-Josef Scharwaechter (German actor and director)
- Andy Scharwaechter (German DJ and producer)
- Lars Scharwaechter (German photographer)
- Julia Scharwaechter (German sculptor)
- Thomas Scharwaechter (German film producer)
- Sebastian Scharwaechter (German car designer)
- Matthias Scharwaechter (German graphic designer)
- Julius Scharwaechter (German landscape artist)