Surname Scheinfuß - Meaning and Origin

Scheinfuß: What does the surname Scheinfuß mean?

The last name Scheinfuß is of German origin, although its exact meaning is unknown. It may be derived from the German words “schenfuss,” meaning “false foot,” which is a medical term used to describe a prosthesis or artificial limb. Alternatively, it could be derived from the German words “schin” meaning “shallow” and “fuß” meaning “foot.” In this case, the name Scheinfuß would literally translate to “shallow foot.”

Whatever its origin, the name Scheinfuß is now most commonly associated with the Scheinfuß family, which is believed to have originated in Germany in the 17th century. The family is recorded in various parts of southwest Germany, specifically Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. By the mid-19th century, some of the Scheinfuß’ had migrated to the United States, where they were primarily known in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California.

Today, the Scheinfuß family continues to be spread throughout both Germany and the United States. Whether the origin of their last name was “false foot” or “shallow foot,” the Scheinfuß family is proud of their name and its roots.

Scheinfuß: Where does the name Scheinfuß come from?

The last name Scheinfuß is a German surname which is commonly found in Germany today. It originated from the Middle High German word Schanufuß, which means "false foot". The original meaning is thought to describe a person who had a false foot (or prosthetic), or perhaps someone who walked with a limp or “false foot”. It is also possible that the name was a nickname for someone who was a cobbler or shoemaker. There are also a few other minor variations of this surname in other countries, such as Schanfus, Schanfaste and Schneefuss, which all mean the same thing.

Outside of Germany, the last name Scheinfuß can also be found in a few other countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. In the United States, the surname is most common in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. The largest Scheinfuß population in the United States however, can be found in the borough of East Berlin, Pennsylvania.

The most common variation of the surname in Germany is Schanufuss. This is derived from Schanufuß, meaning a false foot. As the other variations, Schanfus, Schanfaste and Schneefuss have quite low numbers of occurrence, Schanufuss is the most common spelling of the name in Germany.

The surname Scheinfuß is a reminder of how important it is to remember our ancestors and the impact they have had on our lives today. In a society like ours where so much of our day-to-day life is dependent on technology, it's nice to be reminded of the significance of our family name and the strength and perseverance of the hard-working people that came before us.

Variations of the surname Scheinfuß

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Scheinfuß are Scheinfuß, SchainFusz, ScheinFusz, ScheinFuss, SchainFuss, Scheinfeld, Scheinfelds, SchainFelt, Schainfeld, SchainFelds, and ScheinFelds.

Scheinfuß is derived from the German words ‘scheinen’ and ‘fuss’ which stand for ‘shine’ and ‘foot’ respectively. Thus the surname indicates a description of a person's feet, or perhaps their hard labor. Historically, this surname was used to denote a shoemaker, or someone who worked with leather and undoubtedly spent a lot of time on their feet.

The variants of Scheinfuß are largely a result of its association with different dialects of the German language. For example, the umlaut in ‘fuß’ is often replaced by an ‘F’ and ending ‘-er’ or ‘-s’ attached to the surname to indicate the plural form.

In recent decades, due to the spellings used for English language communication, Scheinfuß has been increasingly written as Scheinfeld and in some instances, the ‘t’ has been dropped to make the word Scheinfeld. This is still reflected in many Scheinfuß family trees by the availability of multiple spelling variants that were used by ancestors.

Regardless of the variations, the core meaning of the surname remains the same. It is a unique name that certainly has a regal, classic feel to it. It is a testament to one’s hard work and craftsmanship, if combined with the right values, can be an example that future generations can aspire to.

Famous people with the name Scheinfuß

• Pascal Scheinfuß: German actor and playwright
• Ulli Scheinfuß: professional goalkeeper who played for multiple teams in the German second division
• Ralph Scheinfuß: German voice actor and synchronicator
• Max Scheinfuß: German composer and conductor
• Tom Scheinfuß: German international cricketer
• Horst Scheinfuß: German international handballer
• André Scheinfuß: retired German basketballer
• Maik Scheinfuß: German football forward
• Maike Scheinfuß: former WNBA player
• Vladislav Scheinfuß: Russian rower who competed in the 2012 Olympics

Other surnames

Scheinflug