Surname Steinfurt - Meaning and Origin
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Steinfurt: What does the surname Steinfurt mean?
The last name Steinfurt is of German origin and is derived from the words “Stein” meaning stone and “Furt” meaning ford. It is a locational surname, indicating its bearer was likely from a place called Steinfurt or he had a parental connection with a family living there. The town of Steinfurt is located in the Münsterland region of northwest Germany and has existed since at least the middle of the 13th century when it was known as Steimforde. It was assigned town rights in 1645. The Steinfurt name has stood the test of time and is still found in Germany today, primarily in the west and central areas of the country.
The earliest known example of the surname Steinfurt was of one Henricus de Steinflirte, which appeared on an old document in 1395 from the southeast German city of Bamberg. Other records from the 15th century reveal a Heinrich Steinfurt and a Julius Steinfurth, both of whom lived in the west German towns of Baden and Stühlingen respectively.
The Steinfurt surname is a unique and special one that dates back hundreds of years and still remains intact to this day. It speaks to the past and the perseverance of its German bearers, underlining their commitment to retaining their sense of identity and connection to their ancestral origins.
Order DNA origin analysisSteinfurt: Where does the name Steinfurt come from?
The last name Steinfurt is a very common name in both Germany and the Netherlands. It is derived from the town of Steinfurt located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany near the Dutch border. The main source of the Steinfurt name comes from this town. Today, people with this last name can be found in many parts of Germany and in most Dutch provinces in towns adjacent to the German border.
Steinfurt is considered the ancestral home of the Steinfurt surname and many families still remain in the area. Nearby towns such as Gronau, Ibbenbüren and Rheine hold the highest concentration of families with this last name in Germany. In the Netherlands, the province of North Brabant holds the highest number of families with the name Steinfurt, specifically in the towns of Boxmeer, Venlo and Roermond.
In Germany, the Steinfurt name has become even further widespread, thanks in part to the large migration of workers from the eastern part of the country to the Rhineland-Palatinate in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result, many people with this last name can now be found living all across the country.
In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of people named Steinfurt emigrating to other countries, such as the United States and Canada, as well as in some parts of South America. Today, the Steinfurt surname is considered a common last name wherever German and Dutch immigrants and their descendants are found.
Variations of the surname Steinfurt
The surname Steinfurt has its origins in a geographical location in Westphalia, Germany, which leads to a variety of variants and spellings, as well as surnames of the same origin. A few of the variants include Steinfurt, Steinford, Steynford, Steinforde, Steynforde, and Steinforth.
Many of the geographical variants and spellings of the Steinfurt surname have been Anglicized from the original German spelling, Steinfurt. The original meaning of the term is three pieces of a castle, implying that people with this name may have originally been a form of protection from invaders.
There are also several surnames of the same origin, some of which are spelled differently or are a combination of the Steinfurt and Steinford names. Some of these include Steinforth-Von Steinford, Steinfurt-Steinford, Steinfort-Steinford, Steinfurt-von Steinforth, and Steinford-Steinforth.
The Steinfurt name can also be traced to a particular family line of nobility. The first record of this name as a family coat of arms dates back to the 15th century, and was most likely used to signify a family of noble standing.
In summary, the Steinfurt surname has many variants and spellings as well as related surnames of the same origin. These variations arise from its geographical roots and its association with families of noble standing.
Famous people with the name Steinfurt
- Luise Friederike von Steinfurth (1764–1847),German courtier, granddaughter of Russian empress Catherine II
- August von Steinfurth (1784–1848), German historian
- Ernst Ludwig Beckman von Steinfurt (1791–1866), Prussian minister of justice
- Alois von Steinfurth (1821–1897), Prussian General of the Infantry
- Carl Eduard von Steinfurth (1835–1904), German botanist
- Robert von Steinfurth (1847–1921), German sculptor
- Max von Steinfurth (1852–1934), German diplomat and civil servant
- Hubertus von Steinfurth (1865–1942), German painter
- Georg D. von Steinfurth (1873–1958), German chemist
- Paul von Steinfurth (1897–1977), German lawyer and diplomat
- Henning von Steinfurth (1912–1985), Swiss military officer
- Gustav von Steinfurth (1877–1954), German industrialist