Surname Schlesner - Meaning and Origin

Schlesner: What does the surname Schlesner mean?

The last name Schlesner has a German origin and is derived from the Middle High German words "slazin" meaning "eager" and "slazan," meaning "to strive," so combined the name translates to someone who is eager and strives for excellence.

The surname Schlesner generally belonged to merchants and farmers. In Germany, these families often had multiple occupations, such as being both merchants and farmers. Their occupations would influence their choices of residence, employment, and the culture of the region where they lived.

The Schlesner surname was found in numerous areas throughout German history and is still found today in both English and German-speaking countries. For example, the Schlesner surname appears in U.S. records as early as the mid-1800s when it was used by immigrants who had journeyed from Europe. A number of notable people born with the Schlesner surnames include Henri Schlesner, a former Canadian Olympic athlete; Michael Schlesner, an 18th-century German composer; and Herman Schlesner, an American politician.

Notable people bearing the Schlesner surname have shaped the culture of the place and time they lived in as well as influenced and been influenced by the people they interacted with throughout their lives. The surname does not only reflect a person's name, but their ancestry, the culture of their home country, and their journey through life.

Schlesner: Where does the name Schlesner come from?

The last name Schlesner is most common today in Germany and in areas where people of German origin settled, such as parts of the United States and Australia. It is also found in Austria, Switzerland, and some other parts of Europe. The earliest known record of the Schlesner surname appeared in the 13th century in the area around Regensburg, Germany.

As the Schlesner name spread through emigration during the middle of the 19th century, the name and its many variations (Schlesener, Schlesinger, Schlösser, and Shlachter, for example) can be found in a wide variety of countries across the globe. In the United States, the highest concentration of people with the Schlesner surname live in Texas, followed by Ohio, Minnesota, and Tennessee.

In addition, one of the largest Schlesner communities outside of Germany is in South Australia. It is believed this particular Schlesner population dates back to an emigration from Germany in the late 1800s.

Although their home base in Germany remains the strongest presence for the Schlesner name, it is clear that this surname has spread across many parts of the world and taken on many forms over the centuries. With time, the frequency of the Schlesner name may diminish, but its presence in history and its impact on those who today bear the name make it an important surname and a lasting part of history.

Variations of the surname Schlesner

The surname Schlesner is an occupational surname that is derived from the Middle High German word “schles”, meaning “belonging to the area or castle of Schleswig”. As such, this surname is found predominantly in Germany and in areas with German populations. Common variants and spellings of the surname Schlesner include:

Shlesner

Schellesner

Schlessner

Schleser

Schlesing

Schlesinger

This surname is often spelled differently in various records and documents, making it difficult to trace the family geneology. Variants of the surname Schlesner may also appear with different letters or spelling variations, such as Schlesener, Steller, Shlesener, Shlessener, Scheleser, and Sheleschner. Additionally, the Schlesner surname is often adapted as a patronymic elsewhere, meaning it can sometimes take on different surnames based on the surrounding culture, such as Klingmann or Klingman in the Netherlands, Klimek in Poland, Klossner in Bavaria, and Klausner in Switzerland.

Famous people with the name Schlesner

• Jakob Schlesner, German mathematician
• Frederick Schlesinger, American journalist
• Daniel Schlesinger, American music composer
• Ernst Schlesinger, Austrian Musicologist
• Jean Schlesinger, a French artist
• Maria Schlesner, German theatre and opera manager
• Berthold Schlesinger, German socialist leader
• Harry B. Schlesinger, American novelist
• Gustaf Schlesinger, German astronomer
• Carl Schlesner, German entomologist
• Helene Schlesinger, Austro-Hungarian movie actress
• Adolph Schlesinger, German politician
• Sabine Schlesinger, actress from Germany
• Sophie Schlesinger, French sculptor
• Hugo Schlesinger, German pediatrician
• Arnold Schlesinger, American songwriter
• Alfred Adolph Schlesinger, a historian
• Cornelia Schlesinger, an Austrian actress
• Kunibert Schlesinger, German musicologist
• Jeremy Schlesinger, a Canadian actor

Other surnames

SaadiSaalmannSaalmuellerSaalmüllerSaamanthaSaamerSaanthaSaarlandSaatciSaatkampSabadilSabadillSabanciSAbanorSabathielSabathilSabbaghSabelSabineSaboSabolSabolcecSabolekSabolovic