Surname Seifer - Meaning and Origin
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Seifer: What does the surname Seifer mean?
Seifer is a surname with potential origins in both German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) cultures. In German, the name Seifer may derive from 'Seifert', an occupational name for a soap boiler (someone who made soap). It is derived from the Middle High German 'seife' meaning 'soap' and 'sieder' meaning 'boiler' or 'sitter'. This suggests the family possibly held a long-standing tradition as soap makers.
Alternatively, in Jewish culture, the surname Seifer is a variant form of the name 'Sefer', which means 'book' in Hebrew. This suggests that the original bearers of the surname could have been associated with books, either as scribes, scholars or possibly booksellers. Therefore, the surname Seifer could symbolize wisdom, knowledge, and a connection to education and writing. It’s also possible for the name to have different derivations and meanings in different families, depending on their specific heritage and roots. Like many surnames, its precise origin may be difficult to ascertain definitively due to migrations and cultural blending over the centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisSeifer: Where does the name Seifer come from?
The last name Seifer is most commonly found today in the United States. Seifer is a Germanic surname that has been present in American records since the early 1700s, when immigrants of Germanic heritage brought the name with them to the US. The states with the most prevalence for the surname include Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois, and California.
Today, the Seifer surname has been carried into hundreds of families across America, making it impossible to trace its exact origins. It is likely that the last name derived from the German word “sifen,” meaning “to saw” or “to shear,” which would suggest that the name was originally used to describe an occupation.
The Seifer surname has seen a notable increase in popularity since the 1950s, when records show that it was one of the top 500 surnames in the US. According to the 2019 US census, the surname is now considered among the top 1,000 most common last names in the United States. The spread of the Seifer surname continues to progress with each generation; today, the name is especially popular in the Midwest region of the country.
Variations of the surname Seifer
The surname Seifer can have several different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. As with most surnames, different countries or regions can have their own version of the name with unique spelling variations. In German, the surname Seifer may be spelled as Seiffer, Seiffert, Seiphor, and Zeifer. In Czech, it is spelled as Zajfert, Zayfert, or Zajfer. In English, the surname Seifer may be spelled as Seiferth, Seifert, Seifarth, or Sievert. There are also Dutch, Polish, and Jewish variants as well, such as Seevart, Sajfert, Sefar, Sefers, Seferowicz, Seffer, and Sivard.
The surnames Seifer and Seifert can also be found in the United States. There are various other versions of the same name in American records such as Seifferth, Sibert, Zeiferth, Seferi, and Seiferd. In addition, some of these surnames can also be used as given first names such as Zajfered, while others like Sefers and Sibert can be used as either a given name or a surname.
The many variants of the same name all ultimately derive from the same Middle High German root word “sifer”, which means “sword” or “soldier”. Thus, the surname Seifer may have originated from a profession of swordsmanship or from someone who has served in the military. Over time and with the spread of different languages and cultures, the same surname has taken on various versions and spellings, ultimately all deriving from the same root source.
Famous people with the name Seifer
- Ashley Mae Seifert: American model and actress.
- August Seifer: American actor and producer.
- Bengt Seifert: Swedish singer-songwriter.
- Bruce Seifert: German theatre director.
- Christian Seifer: Austrian professor and social worker.
- Evangeline Seifer: American artist and poet.
- Greg Seifer: American lawyer, CEO and entrepreneur.
- Helmut Seifer: Austrian physicist and environmentalist.
- Jaimie Seifert: Canadian Paralympic medalist.
- Jeff Seifert: American engineer and former NASA astronaut.
- Jim Seifert: American university professor and former NASCAR driver.
- John Seifer: American award-winning cover graphic artist.
- Mark Seifert: American ice hockey player.
- Marilyn Seifer: American former member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
- Melissa Seifert: American acrobat and singer.
- Nuria Seifer: Spanish singer-songwriter.
- Patrick Seifer: American musician.
- Richard Seifert: German-British architect.
- Rita Seifert: Austrian painter and graphic artist.
- Robert Seifer: Jewish-American survivor of the Holocaust.