Surname Steinmacher - Meaning and Origin

Steinmacher: What does the surname Steinmacher mean?

The last name Steinmacher is a German occupational surname meaning "stone worker." The name typically refers to someone who worked in a quarry or in a trade related to stone cutting and masonry. This work may have included hewing, carving, dressing, and setting stones for masonry, making paving and road-building material, or sculpting statues and monuments.

In the case of the Steinmacher surname, the surname became a hereditary last name when the traditonal practice of a person taking on the last name of their occupation ended.

The origin of the surname is ultimately derived from the Germanic word "stain" meaning "stone," and is a compound word made from ‘stein’ meaning ‘stone’ and ‘macher’ meaning ‘to make.’ It is related to similarly named Germanic surnames, such as Steinhauer and Steinmetz.

The name is still widely found in the German-speaking world and is likely to have spread to other countries during the period of German immigration to the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom during the 19th century. As a result, you may encounter it throughout many English-speaking countries.

Additionally, the last name Steinmacher is also common among English-speaking individuals of Germanic descent who have retained their original surnames. It is also sometimes anglicised to Stonecutter.

Steinmacher: Where does the name Steinmacher come from?

The last name Steinmacher is a German and Jewish surname. It is most commonly found in Germany, the United States, and Israel.

In Germany, the Steinmacher surname is most commonly associated with the Rhineland region, where the name is over 300 years old. It is even believed that the last name originally comes from the Alsace-Lorraine region in the northeast area of present-day France.

The Steinmacher name is still quite prevalent in Germany today. According to the German telephone directory, at the start of 2020 there were 28,204 individuals with the surname Steinmacher residing in the country. The majority of those with the name live in Bavaria, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Berlin, Lower Saxony, and Baden-Wurttemberg.

In the United States, approximately 1,639 people hold the last name, and the highest concentration of them is found in New Jersey. This is likely due to the fact that many European immigrants immigrated to the East Coast in the past century, including many coming from Germany.

In Israel, over 4,500 individuals have the last name Steinmacher. This notwithstanding, a significant emigration of Jews to the country in the 1900s would explain the high concentration.

Overall, the last name Steinmacher is still quite prevalent in Germany and has been passed down to many generations both in its home country and in other countries.

Variations of the surname Steinmacher

The surname Steinmacher is a German occupational surname that literally means “stone maker”. It is derived from the Middle High German word “stein” or “steyn,” which means “rock” or “stone.” This surname can be found as Steinmacher, Steinemacher, Steinmacher, Steinmack, Steinmekker, Steinmaeker, Steinemekker, Steinemacker, Steinemaeker, Steinmecker, Steinmeier and Steinman.

Some of these variants can be found in the United States with different spellings from the original German name. For example, Steinmacher can also be spelled as Steinmaker, Steinemaker, Steinmacker, Steinmeeker, Steinmeckar, Steinermaker, Steinmacher, Steinmachek, or Steinmecke.

The surname Steinmacher can also be found with slightly different spelling variations outside of the United States. For example, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the name can be spelled as Steinmacher, Steinmacker, Steinmecker, Steinmaasser, Steinmaaßer, Steinmeiers, Steinmachers, Steinsers, Steinesers, Steinmekkers, Steinmachers, Steinmechers, Steinmeckers, or Steinmachers.

In France, the surname can be spelled as Steinemecker, Steinemaeker, Steinmacker or Steinmeckers. In the Netherlands, it is spelled as Steinmacker, Steinsmacker, Steinemacker or Steinmeckers. In Denmark, it can be spelled as Steinemeckers, Steinaeckers, Steinmeckers, Steinmackers or Steinmekkers.

In Poland, the surname Steinmacher is spelled as Steinmacke, Steinmacka or Steinmacha. In Hungary, it is spelled Steinmacher, Steinmack, Steinmak or Steinmeca.

Overall, the surname Steinmacher is a very common and widespread name, with many variants and spellings, both within and outside of the United States.

Famous people with the name Steinmacher

• Albert Steinmacher: a prominent German economist, professor emeritus at the University of Technology in Darmstadt.
• Arthur Steinmacher: an American lawyer and philanthropist.
• Gary Steinmacher: a former American football quarterback.
• Hilda Steinmacher: a Dutch gymnast, participating at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
• Karl Steinmacher: a German non-fiction writer and historian.
• Mano Steinmacher: an Israeli horseback riding coach.
• Nomi Steinmacher: an Israeli movement disorders researcher.
• Randolph Steinmacher: an American biomedical engineer.
• Avi Steinmacher: an Israeli artist.
• William Steinmacher: an American microbiologist.

Other surnames

Steinmacker