Surname Schitmann - Meaning and Origin
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Schitmann: What does the surname Schitmann mean?
The last name Schitmann is of German origin. It is derived from the German words "schitt,” which means remnant, and “mann” which means man. Together, the name originally meant “man of the remnant.”
The name might have originally been a surname for someone who was the lonely survivor of an entire family, or who was the last remaining member of a great enterprise or institution such as a church or monastery. This type of surname was born of extreme adversity and is a tribute to survival and resilience.
Today, the current spelling of Schitmann is still mainly used in Germany, though there are some variations. The name may also be found in other parts of Europe or around the world in places where German immigrants have settled.
Other variations of the name range from Schittemann, Schittmann, Schittman, Schittmans, Schitman, Shittman, Shitman, Schmidtman, and so on.
Despite the sometimes dark origins of the name Schitmann, it is still possible to trace it back to a family where members display the same courage, determination, and resilience of the unnamed ancestor who first bore the name.
Order DNA origin analysisSchitmann: Where does the name Schitmann come from?
The last name Schitmann is most common today in Germany. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "schitman," which was a medieval term used to describe a town clerk or bookkeeper. It is estimated that currently there are over 5,400 people in Germany bearing the name Schitmann.
The name has also been found in other European countries, including Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Additionally, there are over a thousand Schitmanns living in the United States. This may initially seem like a relatively small number, but given that the name is several centuries old and that immigration only began in the late 19th century, it is a remarkable feat that the last name has spread as far as it has around the world.
Most notably, records of Schitmanns in the United States date back to the 17th century, making it one of the oldest German surnames found in America. The migration of Schitmanns likely stems from the persecution that many Prussian and German Jews faced in the 18th and 19th centuries due to the growing anti-semitism. Therefore, the presence of Schitmanns in the U.S. is a testament to the great lengths that the German immigrants went to in order to escape persecution and maintain their cultural roots.
Variations of the surname Schitmann
The surname Schitmann is a patronymic name derived from the first name “Schit”. It is believed to be of German or Dutch origin, and was originally used to refer to someone who was from an area of Schit in Germany.
Variants of this surname are Schittmann, Schittman, Schittmann, Schytman, Schytmann, Schwittmann, Schwittmann and Schyttmann.
In English, the name is spelled as Shittman or Shittmann. In Dutch, the variant name Schytman or Schytmann is used, while in German, the variants Schittman or Schittmann are common.
The surname is also found in many other countries including Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In some of these countries the spelling has been anglicized and is found as Schittman, Shittman, Schyttman or Shytman.
There have been variations in the spelling of the surname over the centuries. In the early 1500s it may be spelled “Scytmans” or “Scitmans”. In the mid 1700s the prevalent spelling was changed to “Schyttman or Schyttmann”, while in the late 1800s the name was written as “Schitman”, “Schittman”, or “Shitman”. Still another variation in spelling that was found during the early 1900s was “Schittmann” and “Schittman”.
Overall, the Schitmann name has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Schitmann
- Philipp Schitmann: German racing driver
- Aaron Schitmann: American fashion designer
- Marie Schitmann: French sculptor
- Richard Schitmann: American film and television director
- Bob Schitmann: American actor
- Julian Schitmann: Swiss philologist
- Christian Schitmann: German poet and graphic artist
- Kelly Schitmann: Australian fashion designer
- Olaf Schitmann: German photographer
- Ray Schitmann: American tennis player