Surname Schimmelpfeng - Meaning and Origin
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Schimmelpfeng: What does the surname Schimmelpfeng mean?
The last name Schimmelpfeng is a German surname meaning “mushroom field.” The name suggests that the original bearer of the surname was a person who lived or worked in a field with many mushrooms. This type of terrain was likely common to the rural areas of Germany where the surname originated.
The various spelling variations of the name offer further insight into its origin. “Schimmelpfeng” is the name’s original spelling while “Schimelpfenig,” “Schimelpfennig” and “Schimmelpfenig” are all variants of the name. The “pfen” or “pfenn” is the German word for penny, indicating that the surname likely idiomatically means “field of mushrooms,” or “field where one finds pennies worth of mushrooms.”
The Schimmelpfeng surname is spread out across much of Central Europe, and it is an especially common surname in Germany. It is typically found in areas settled by German immigrants looking to escape religious persecution during the 1600s and 1700s, such as Pennsylvania in the United States.
Overall, the Schimmelpfeng surnamem is a moniker with historical significance that represents the rural origins of its original bearer and speaks to the importance of the mushroom economy in the same parts of Germany in the past.
Order DNA origin analysisSchimmelpfeng: Where does the name Schimmelpfeng come from?
Today, Schimmelpfeng is most commonly found in Germany, where it is believed to have originated from. In Germany, the surname is most commonly found in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically in the cities of Gelsenkirchen and Bochum. The name is also found in small numbers in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland, however the greatest concentration is found in Germany.
The name Schimmelpfeng is derived from the German word “schimmel”, which means “gray horse”. It is believed that the family got their surname from the profession of horse traders and breeders. It is also possible that they were originally horse trainers based on their location in Gelsenkirchen, which was a regional horse-riding center.
The name Schimmelpfeng is still quite common today, although there are few people who can trace their ancestry back to the original Schimmelpfeng family. In fact, there are now more than 30 spellings of the original name, including Shmuelpfing, Schimmelpfink and Schimilpfing.
Overall, the surname Schimmelpfeng is still relatively common throughout Germany and western Europe. Although there have been dozens of variations of the name, its original meaning still holds strong in the hearts of those who bear it.
Variations of the surname Schimmelpfeng
The surname Schimmelpfeng has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common spelling is Schimmelpfennig, which comes from Germany. Other spellings include Schimmelpfing, Schimmelpfeil, Schimmeleffing, Schimmelpfenning, Schimmelpfuhl, Schimmelpflug, and Schimelpfenig. In the Netherlands, the surname can be written as Schimmelpfenningh or Schimmeleffingh.
In addition to the various spellings worldwide, some families have taken the surname and changed the spelling or created a variant. For example, the surnames Schimmelpfenninger, Schimmelpfender and Schimmelpfenninghofer are all derived from the original surname Schimmelpfeng.
Surnames of similar origin include Schimmelburg, Schimmelbock, Schimelfenig, Schimmelmann, Schimelpfenig, Schimelpfenigk and Schimelpfuhl. These names are derived from a combination of the German terms pfennig (penny) and fang (capture), or pfingst (Pentecost), and could have been given to an ancestor who was involved in a legal capture. Alternatively, they could have been given to families who collected money for taxes or were known to be good at handling money.
In conclusion, the surname Schimmelpfeng has a wealth of variants and spellings around the world, as well as closely related surnames with similar meanings and origins.
Famous people with the name Schimmelpfeng
- Isaak Schimmelpfennig: German author and poet
- Herman W. Schimmelpfennig: American lieutenant colonel and founder of Cadence Bank
- August Schimmelpfennig: Prussian conservative politician
- Friedrich Schimmelpfennig: German author and naturalist
- Wilma Schimmelpfennig: Dutch long-track speed skater
- Johann Friedrich Schimmelpfennig: German botanist
- Johannes Schimmelpfennig: German paralympic athlete
- Karl Schimmelpfennig: Prussian government official
- Christian Schimmelpfennig: German theologian
- Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig: German high jumper