Surname Schwanzer - Meaning and Origin
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Schwanzer: What does the surname Schwanzer mean?
The last name Schwanzer is an occupational name deriving from German. The name is derived from the Middle High German words “schwanz” meaning “tail” and “er” meaning “one who”. This indicates that the name probably refers to a person whose occupation was professional tailoring. It most likely originated with a profession where the surname referred to a tailor who had to sew the tails of clothes. The surname could also refer to an individual who made or repaired tools that had a "tail" shape - such as a scythe or a weaver's shuttle - or who made boots and shoes with a "tail" shape.
The literal translation of the name is “tailor” or “tailor’s worker”, but the significance of the name eventually shifted to refer to a person, or a family, that provided garments and fabrics to a community or an occupation. People with the last name Schwanzer were found not only in Germany but also in England, Italy, and other parts of central and southern Europe.
Some derived variants of the name include Swanzer, Schwander, Schiwander, Schwanz(er), Schwarz(er), Schwantz and Shonzer. Although there is no one family crest that can be tied to the Schwanzer surname, many branches of the family adopted crests featuring a lion or a fish.
Overall, the last name Schwanzer likely originated in Germany as an occupational name for a tailor, but eventually the meaning of the name shifted to refer to someone who provided garments and fabrics to a community or profession. Variations of the name can be found throughout Europe and family crests of many branches of the family feature a lion or a fish.
Order DNA origin analysisSchwanzer: Where does the name Schwanzer come from?
The last name Schwanzer is mainly found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It can also be encountered in other countries, particularly those with large populations of German-speaking people.
In Germany, it is most commonly found in the states of Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg, and Hessen. In these states, and in some other regions of Germany, the name is considered very old and is often found associated with noble backgrounds.
In Austria, Schwanzer can be encountered in Burgenland, an eastern region bordered by Hungary and Slovakia and with a strong tradition of German-speaking people, but also in many other Austrian states.
Switzerland is another country where the last name Schwanzer has been found, mainly in the Canton of St. Gallen and the Canton of Schaffhausen.
The name is also quite common in the United States due to the huge influx of German immigrants who have settled in the last century. It is found in many states, particularly in the Upper Midwest and in Pennsylvania, and also on the California coast in places like Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.
Although the last name Schwanzer is not as common as it once was, it is still fairly widespread.
Variations of the surname Schwanzer
Schwanzer is a surname of German origin, and it is properly pronounced "SHVAHN-tser." Variants of the name include Schwantz, Schwanser, Swanser, Schwanser, Swanzer, Schwanzer, and Schwansor.
Common spellings of Schwanzer are Swanzer and Schwanser, which are both pronounced the same as the original form of the name. Spellings with a ‘z’ such as Schwazen or Snazen are sometimes seen, but are not historically related to the name.
Surnames derived from Schwanzer include Swantner, Swanser, Schwarzinger, and Schwarzkopf. These surnames likely arose from the phonetic evolution of the original Schwanzer name.
Schwanzer’s origins prior to the 18th Century are obscure. It is likely that the family originated from a German dialect ‘schwanz’, meaning ‘tail’. It may have originally been an occupational name for a person who bred or cared for horses; start tail, or a tailsmith. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a place name - Schwanz, in Bavaria - although this is not definitively established.
In some parts of Germany, Schwanzer is a very common surname, and variations of it have also been adopted by neighbouring countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. Schwanzer is also an increasingly popular surname in parts of North America and Canada.
Famous people with the name Schwanzer
- Reinhold Schwanzer: a German author and journalist
- Angela Schwanzer: a German archaeologist who specializes in Roman archaeology
- Irene Schwanzer: an Austrian actress
- Janos Schwanzer: an Austrian composer and bass vocalist
- Malte Schwanzer: a German art historian
- Gunther Schwanzer: a German fashion designer
- Lisa Schwanzer: a German film director and screenwriter
- Thomas Schwanzer: a German mathematician and computer scientist
- William Schwanzer: a German engineer and physicist
- Johannes Schwanzer: an Austrian entrepreneur and investor