Surname Schliwa - Meaning and Origin
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Schliwa: What does the surname Schliwa mean?
The surname Schliwa is thought to have derived from the German "schliefen," meaning "to sleep" or the Germanic "slefe," meaning "safe and secluded." In early Germanic times, a schliwa referred to someone who resided in a lowland or sloping region. This name was given to individuals who lived near water or riverbanks.
Schliwa has been documented in various forms throughout the course of history, including Schliewa, Schlee, Schloer, Schlouaer, Schlouer, Schlewa, Sleet, and Sleeth. The Schliwa surname is mainly found in Germany, as well as the Netherlands, and parts of Austria.
The origin of Schliwa is associated with the ancestral occupation of the bearer. It is believed that Schliwa was an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked on watercourses. This could have been a boatman, fisherman, river navigator, or perhaps a waterman for ships.
The Schliwa surname was an important part of German and European history as the Schliwa family served in many military conflicts, including the two World Wars of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the Schliwa family name continues to be present in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, and is a common German surname.
Order DNA origin analysisSchliwa: Where does the name Schliwa come from?
The last name Schliwa is most commonly found today in Germany. It is an occupational name derived from the old German words Schlichter, meaning “clerk,” and Waßer, meaning “water.” It is likely that the original holders of this name were employed to keep records for an estate or some other mercantile endeavor. The surname was also used among the Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Europe as shortened form of Schlívitzky.
According to Ancestry.com, Schliwa is the 4,399th most common German surname today, with over 4,000 people holding the last name living in Germany. East Prussia and Schleswig-Holstein are two of the most common regions where this name appears.
The name can also be found throughout the United States, Canada, Britain and other countries where people of German ancestry have immigrated. The highest concentrations of people with the last name Schliwa in the United States are located in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas.
Schliwa is also a surname among several other immigrant nationalities. In fact, it is more common among non-Germans in the US and the UK than it is among Germans in those countries. The highest concentration of Schliwas among immigrants can be found in Australia and South Africa, whose former colonial past account for the majority of its residents of German descent.
The worldwide distribution of the Schliwa name is highly indicative of the movement and migration of German immigrants and their descendants across the globe.
Variations of the surname Schliwa
The surname Schliwa is a German and Dutch word that has various spellings and variant forms. The variations of Schliwa include Schliewa, Schleywa, Schliwowski, Schliwe, Shluwa, Shlewa, Schlewe, Shliwa, Shiwa, Schlew and Schluwa.
In German, the root of the surname comes from the old German word “schlie,” and in Dutch it comes from the word “sluy,” meaning the base of a hill.
Other variants of the name Schliwa sometimes include the prefixes “Van” or “Von”, which indicate an aristocratic origin, or the suffixes “sen” and “sohn”, which relate to the surname's patronymic origin.
The surname is also spelled differently depending on the language and region of origin. In German-speaking countries and the Netherlands, the pronunciation is usually Schilwa, while in Poland and other Eastern European countries the same name is spelled Schliwowski.
In America, the name has changed even further to Schliewa, Shlewa, Shluwa, Shliwa and Shiwa. These American spellings are derived from Dutch, German, and Polish roots.
The various spellings and variants of the surname Schliwa help to identify the language and location of origin of its many bearers. As the surname spread throughout Europe, Australia and America, the variations helped identify German and Dutch immigrants. Today, the surname is still common worldwide, and used in many different languages.
Famous people with the name Schliwa
- Sabine Schliwa: Winner of three medals in two Paralympic Games, Sabine Schliwa is an accomplished swimmer and one of Germany’s most respected icons for inspiring athletes with disabilities.
- Torsten Schliwa: A German Lobbyist, Torsten Schliwa is an advocate for national politics and public action in Berlin, and his work in the German capital is well known.
- Dirk Schliwa: A German track and field athlete, Dirk Schliwa was a world champion and holder of three World Championships titles in the high jump event.
- Helga Schliwa: A respected professor of chemistry and the former President of the Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft (DFG, German Research Association), Helga Schliwa is an authority in the field of organic chemistry.
- Uwe Schliwa: Uwe Schliwa is a German politician in the Social Democratic Party, and served as mayor of the City of Kaiserslautern for a decade.
- Gerhard Schliwa: A German editor of Wikipedia, Gerhard Schliwa is an online editor and expert in the popular online encyclopedia.
- Carla Schliwa: An international model, Carla Schliwa has achieved fame for her work on the catwalk and for her work as a spokesperson for Greenpeace.
- Tobias Schliwa: A German television actor, Tobias Schliwa has earned recognition for his roles on various German television shows, including his long rot in the soap opera “Verliebt in Berlin.”
- Edith Schliwa: An author and journalist, Edith Schliwa is a well-known interior design expert and has written several books on the topic.
- Katja Schliwa: Katja Schliwa is an actress and a filmmaker from Germany who has received national recognition for her work in both professional and amateur film projects.