Surname Steinheimer - Meaning and Origin
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Steinheimer: What does the surname Steinheimer mean?
The last name Steinheimer is a variation of the German-derived surname Steinheimer, meaning “stone home” or “stone house.” This surname is derived from a combination of two words: Stein which translates to stone, and Heim which translates to home.
It is believed that the earliest known use of the Steinheimer surname dates back to the mid-1500s, in the Germanic region of Bavaria. This original use of the name was to indicate a person who lived in a home built out of stone, as opposed to the more common wooden homes of the time. This would have served the purposes of greater fire safety, protection against animals, and a status symbol to indicate one’s wealth.
Over time, more people adopted the Steinheimer surname as their own, and its popularity continued during the 19th century migration period from Europe into America. Today, the Steinheimer name is still most commonly found in areas that were initially settled by German immigrants, such as the northeastern states of the United States.
Throughout time, this German surname has evolved to have a variety of alternate spellings, such as Steinheimes, Steimellee, and Stinstein. Regardless of the spelling, the name Steinheimer still maintains its original meaning and continues to bring its proud family lineages into the 21st century.
Order DNA origin analysisSteinheimer: Where does the name Steinheimer come from?
The last name Steinheimer is most commonly found in Germany. According to the United States Census Bureau, the name first appeared in the U.S. in the early 19th century with German immigrants settling in the Midwest. Steinheimer is still a popular surname in various parts of Germany today, with the most notable concentrations found in the states of Bavaria and Hesse. This is an especially common name in many of the densely-populated cities located in both of these states; cities such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart.
Steinheimer is also a common name in other areas with smaller concentrations of German-speaking populations. This includes parts of Austria, Alsace Lorraine in France, and several countries in Eastern Europe. Additionally, there are sizable populations of persons with the Steinheimer surname living in South Africa, several states throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
Outside of either the original German-speaking locations or major cities of emigration, Steinheimer is generally less common in comparison. Thus, if you intend to do genealogy research on this name, focusing on the previously-mentioned regions might help to yield more fruitful results.
Variations of the surname Steinheimer
The surname Steinheimer originates from the German word "steinheim" which translates to "stone home." It is thought to have been adopted as a surname in the Middle Ages by individuals who made their living from working with stones, either by quarrying them or crafting them into structures. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Sternheimer, Steinham, Steinhetter, Steinhauser, Tustinheimer, Ssteinheimer, and Teinheimer. In some instances, the surname Steinheimer has also been rendered as Hestin, possibly due to a dialectal transformation.
In Jewish communities where Yiddish was spoken, the surname Steinheimer has been phonetically translated to Sztainzimer and Sztainheim. In regions of Central and Eastern Europe, especially within the population of German-speaking Jews, the surname has been seen in records under the variant spelled Steiner, which is based in the German word for stone.
In Slovenia, Steinheimer is seen as a variant of Štajnko, which is derived from a nickname that was given to individuals who worked as stonecutters or stonemasons. In Britain, the Steinheimer family name is often spelled Steinham or Stonham, with variants of Stein with includes variations in spelling such as Stonheym and Stoneheim.
Regardless of the variant, the surname Steinheimer is ultimately derived from the original word for “home of stone” with its many variants throughout Europe.
Famous people with the name Steinheimer
- Lauren Steinheimer: American Heavy metal musician
- Shai Steinheimer: Israeli born music composer and producer
- Georg Steinheimer: German writer and professor of law
- Max Steinheimer: German painter
- Hermann Wilhelm Steinheimer: German industrialist
- Jo Steinheimer: German journalist and writer
- Friedrich Steinheimer: German chemical industrialist
- Axel Steinheimer: German musician, composer and producer
- Eugen Steinheimer: German writer
- Kara Steinheimer: American reality television celebrity
- Martha Steinheimer: German actress
- Berthold Steinheimer: German lawyer
- Steffen Steinheimer: German politician
- Evan Steinheimer: American professional wrestler
- Jim Steinheimer: American marketing expert
- Eric Steinheimer: American actor
- Jan Steinheimer: Norwegian actor, director, and producer
- Karl Steinheimer: Austrian musician, politician, and entrepreneur
- Florian Steinheimer: German-Australian philosopher
- Douglas Steinheimer: American racecar driver