Surname Schlessiger - Meaning and Origin
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Schlessiger: What does the surname Schlessiger mean?
The last name Schlessiger originates from Germany and is derived from the word "schleisser" which means locksmith. This occupational name indicates that the first individuals with the Schlessiger name were locksmiths who had a reputation for having expert skills with locks and keys.
Schlessiger is also a Jewish name which is derived from the Yiddish-language word ‘schleisser’ meaning 'one who closes'. The name was likely adopted when families entered Europe in the 16th century. It is most commonly found today among Jewish families.
The Schlessiger name can be found in multiple countries throughout Europe including Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Although the origin of the name is debated, what is certain is that Schlessiger is a very old surname and has been widely used over the centuries.
Today, Schlessiger is an uncommon last name, but the people who bear it come from a long line of tradition and skilled artisans. It is a reminder of those who had the skill and ingenuity to build the sorts of locks and keys that were in use for centuries and those who passed those skills on from generation to generation.
Order DNA origin analysisSchlessiger: Where does the name Schlessiger come from?
The last name Schlessiger is most commonly found today in Germany. It is also found in other parts of Central Europe, such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
The surname likely originated as a patronymic, meaning it was derived from the father's name. It is believed to be a derivative of the Old German Schlesser, with the name derived from the Latin word “clarus,” meaning bright or shining.
In modern times, the Schlessiger surname is most prominent in Germany. According to Germany’s census of 2000, the name is held by around 4,700 people in the country, mostly in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Within Germany, many people with Schlessiger surnames live in Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Freiburg, Mannheim, Neckarsulm, and other nearby cities in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
Outside Germany, the surname can also be found in Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and even some parts of the United States. In the US, there are especially high concentrations of people with Schlessiger last names in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Variations of the surname Schlessiger
The surname Schlessiger is a German name, and it can be spelled in several ways, including Schlessinger, Schlesinger, Schlesiger, Schleisinger, Shlessinger, Schleissinger, Schlisiner, Shlisinger and Schlussinger. All of these variants are derived from the root name Schleis or Schlues, which is derived from the Middle High German word schleis, meaning "lock." The earliest known record of the name Schlessiger is found on a 1662 tax list from Luxembourg, and in the duchy of Baden, the accent was sometimes lost, resulting in the alternate Sas, Saseliger or Salezinger.
In some regions, the name was further changed in to Schuhl, Schluch or Schluchter, while in others it became Shles, Shlesinger, Shlessinger or Shlissinger. The use of the letter "i" instead of "e" can also be found in the forms Schlisener and Schlisinger. In some cases, the spelling might vary depending on which region the family was from.
It is also possible to trace the surname back to Jewish families that immigrated to the United States and Canada in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, usually under the anglicized Schlessiger or Schlesinger, or the slightly different boutiques, such as Shlissinger and Shlesinger. In the United States, the Schlessiger family can be traced to New York City and Butte, Montana, while in Canada they are found mainly in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Famous people with the name Schlessiger
- Max Schlessiger: German footballer.
- Claus Schlessiger: German Alpine skier who competed at the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympic Games.
- Karl Schlessiger: Former Olympic cross country skier.
- Frank Schlessiger: Former head coach of the German National Football Team.
- Carl Schlessiger: Association football manager who was the first manager of the Italian club Palermo.
- Helmut Schlessiger: German actor and lead director at the Munich Kammerspiele theater.
- Hermann Schlessiger: Austrian mathematician who proved the first variational theorem in thermodynamics.
- Walt Schlessiger: American professional golfer who won seven victories on the Nationwide Tour.
- Lawrence Schlessiger: American businessman and entrepreneur who founded The Schlessiger Corporation in 1919.
- Joe Schlessiger: American film director who directed projects like The Revengers, and Operation Bikini.