Surname Schoenfelder - Meaning and Origin

Schoenfelder: What does the surname Schoenfelder mean?

The last name Schoenfelder derives from German and has two roots: “Schöne” and “Feld”. “Schöne” translates to “beautiful” or “fair”, while “Feld” translates to “field” or “open area”. Therefore, the name likely originated as an occupational surname given to one who lived, farmed or worked on a beautiful area of land.

The name Schoenfelder has been around since medieval times, and figures bearing the name have lived in various parts of Germany for centuries. One example is the Count Hans Schoenfelder, who was in charge of the castle in Burgthann in the late 15th century.

Today, Schoenfelder is still particularly prevalent in Germany. It is also widespread in the United States due to the large number of German immigrants who came to the country during the 19th century.

The name can vary in spelling in both countries, such as Schoenfelder, Schönefelder, Schoenfeld or Schönefeld. However all variations are held to refer to the same origin and are regarded as interchangeable.

In conclusion, the last name Schoenfelder likely originated as a surname given to one who lived, farmed or worked on a beautiful area of land. It has been around since medieval times and is still widely used in Germany and in the United States. It is also known to vary in spelling, but is still interchangeable.

Schoenfelder: Where does the name Schoenfelder come from?

The last name Schoenfelder is believed to be of German origin and can be found mainly in Germany and the United States today. In the U.S. States of Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and South Dakota have a higher concentration of people carrying the Schoenfelder surname.

In Germany, the Schoenfelder family’s origin is believed to be in the Palatinate region, with most of the family coming from the small town of Höhfrankenau in Bavaria. It is believed that this family began sometime before 1780.

Within the United States, the Schoenfelder surname has been found primarily in the Midwest. This includes Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Iowa and Wisconsin in particular have one of the highest concentrations of this surname, with smaller numbers in other Midwest states.

In addition to the Midwest, there are also a small number of people carrying the Schoenfelder name in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Overall, the Schoenfelder surname is most commonly found today in regions of Germany and the Midwest United States. While the name can be found in other locations, these two places represent the majority of people carrying the Schoenfelder name.

Variations of the surname Schoenfelder

Schoenfelder is an occupational surname meaning “shoemaker” and is of German origin. It may be spelled in various ways, such as Schoenfeld, Schonfelder, Schoenfeller, Schunfeld, Schunfeller, Schonfield, and Schonfielder. Some variants or alternative spelling of the surname Schoenfelder include Shoenfelder, Schoenföldler, Schönefeld, Schonefeld, Schonefeldt, Schoenefelt, Schonefelt, and Schonfelt.

The same surname has been adopted in many countries and many times changed according to the nation's language and customs. It has appeared in records in the Latinized form "Scalponarius", and the French spelling "Chevalier", both of which were possibly adopted by early families who had emigrated from Germany to France.

The surnames Calfee, Kalfee, Kelfe, Kellef, Kohlhofer, Corfe, and Kelfenfeld may also be related to Schoenfelder, as these names can all be translated as shoemaker in various languages.

Schoenfelder has been gradually corrupted in speech and has subsequently become misspelled. Some of the common misspellings of this surname include Schanfelder, Schoenflelder, Schoenfelt, Schonefaed, and Schoeneded.

Alternative spellings of the same surname can help genealogists track down various members of a family. So if a person wishes to find out more about their ancestors or relatives who have the same surname as them, it is useful to check a variety of spelling variations.

Famous people with the name Schoenfelder

• Queen Letizia of Spain (née Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano Schoenfelder
• John Schoenfelder, former professional baseball player
• Michael John Schoenfelder, actor and musician
• Bob Schoenfelder, Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter
• Dr. Alfred Schoenfelder, German cytopathologist
• Conni Schoenfelder, former German figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist
• Béla Schönfelder, former Hungarian football player
• Johannes Schoenfelder, former German soccer player
• Brian Schoenfelder, American professional basketball player
• Hans Schoenfelder, Austrian clerical statesman
• Heiko Schoenfelder, German biathlete
• Gérard Schoenfelder, French politician
• Karl Schoenfelder, German architect and professor
• Jürgen Schoenfelder, film director and film producer
• Joyce Schoenfelder, former member of the US House of Representatives
• Wilhem Schoenfelder, Prussian infantry lieutenant
• Bernd Schoenfelder, former German cyclist
• Noel Schoenfelder, former American basketball player
• Arthur Schoenfelder, Austrian landscape artists
• Günter Schöenfelder, German gymnast

Other surnames

SchoenfeldSchoenfeldt