Surname Steindorfer - Meaning and Origin

Steindorfer: What does the surname Steindorfer mean?

The last name Steindorfer is a German name derived from the words “Stein” and “Dorfer”, which respectively mean “stone” and “town or village”. Thus, the literal translation of Steindorfer is “stone village”.

Steindorfer first appeared in the Tyrol region, which geographically is a part of the Alps in western Austria. It likely originated as an occupational name; many of its native speakers were masons or stone cutters with either deep military or imperial associations.

The original Steindorfers were believed to have come over in the 12th century to the region, where they lived in mountain settlements and farmed off the land. As time went on, they slowly branched out and began to settle even further into other German-speaking countries.

Today, Steindorfer is a relatively common name across Germany, Austria, and many other countries across the globe. Those carrying the last name generally tend to have a strong appreciation for the arts and culture, and have a penchant for could crafts, especially stone cutting and sculpting. It is a name that denotes strength, unity, and a deep connection to the land it originated from.

Steindorfer: Where does the name Steindorfer come from?

The last name Steindorfer is common in areas of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It is believed to have originated in Bavaria, and has a strong German-Austrian heritage.

The Steindorfer name is most commonly associated with German immigrants who came to the United States in the mid to late nineteenth century. Since then, the name has spread to places like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada as well.

However, the Steindorfer surname still shows up most prominently in German-speaking countries. In Germany, Steindorfers are most commonly found in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Steindorfers in Austria can be found mainly in the federal states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Vienna — often in the cities of Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Steindorfers are found in the capital city of Prague and the country’s second-largest city, Bratislava.

In total, Steindorfer descendants are spread throughout Europe, North America, and the world — mostly in countries with Germanic roots, especially in the countries in which the name originated.

Variations of the surname Steindorfer

The surname Steindorfer is of German origin and is found in both Germany and the United States. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Stein(n)dorfer, Steindörfer, Steindörffer, Stein(d)törfer, and Steinerter. All of these alternate spellings are found in both Germany and the United States.

The Steindorfer name is derived from the German words “stein” meaning stone and “dorf” meaning village or town. In the U.S., the spelling Steindorfer is most commonly used among German Americans, and the name is sometimes also found as Stoner or Stonefer. Other spellings are also found in the United States, particularly Steinerter and Steindörffer.

The earliest known variant of the family name, Steinndorfer, was found in Germany in the 16th century. The first Steindorfer family in the United States is recorded in 1851. Likely it is a phonetic corruption of the German spelling. Some families adopted the American spelling because of difficulty in pronouncing the original German spelling.

In the U.S., the Steindorfer spelling is often found among German-American families in Pennsylvania, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and other Midwestern states. The Steinerter spelling is found primarily in New York and Massachusetts. The Stein(n)dorfer spelling is among families from Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the Steindörffer spelling is among families from Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. Many alternate spellings of the Steindorfer surname are found in African-American families in the Carolyn Islands, likely from a common ancestor.

In Germany, the Steindorfer name is most commonly found in the Brandenburg region, along with other variants of the name. The Stein(d)törfer spelling is found chiefly in Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg, while the Steindörfer spelling is found chiefly in Saxony-Anhalt.

Overall, Steindorfer is a common surname in both Germany and the United States, and many variants of the name have developed over the centuries.

Famous people with the name Steindorfer

• Pia Steindorfer: Pia Steindorfer is a German actress, best known for her lead role in the 2016 drama film, My Blind Date with Life. She has also appeared in numerous television shows and films.
• Richard Steindorfer: Richard Steindorfer is an Austrian-born film producer who has worked for companies such as Constantin Film and Warner Bros. He is the producer of films such as Blade Runner 2049 and Abenteuer Leben.
• Marianne Steindorfer: Marianne Steindorfer is a German journalist and television presenter who is best known for hosting the German variety show, TV Total. She has also worked as a correspondent for news channels such as RTL and ZDF.
• Karl Steindorfer: Karl Steindorfer is a German composer, pianist, and conductor. He has composed many classical works, both vocal and instrumental, and has released several CDs.
• Klaus Steindorfer: Klaus Steindorfer is a German architect and city planner. He is known for his work on urban renewal projects in cities such as Munich, Bonn, and Berlin.
• Christa Steindorfer: Christa Steindorfer is a German physicist and professor at Technische Universität München. She is known for her research in the fields of optics and machine learning.
• Christian Steindorfer: Christian Steindorfer is a German musician and producer who is best known for his work in the band Avantgarde. He has also composed music for television shows and films, as well as produced music albums.
• Marlene Steindorfer: Marlene Steindorfer is a German entrepreneur and investor. She is the president of investment firm DCM Investment Partners and is a member of the board of a number of organizations.
• Hannes Steindorfer: Hannes Steindorfer is an Austrian director, known for his films such as The Beloved Sisters and Die schöne Zeit der schwarzen Bohnen. He has also directed theatrical plays, such as Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman.
• Jürgen Steindorfer: Jürgen Steindorfer is a German soccer player. He plays for TSV 1860 Munich and is the club's most capped player with over 500 appearances.

Other surnames

SteindorfSteindorff