Surname Scheidhammer - Meaning and Origin

Scheidhammer: What does the surname Scheidhammer mean?

The last name Scheidhammer is of German origin, derived from the Old High German compound elements “schelo” (shield, protection) and “hamar” (hammer). The name is an occupational name for a blacksmith, i.e. someone who works with metal by using a hammer to heat metal objects and shape them. Historically, blacksmiths were indispensable as most metal objects had to be created by this particular method. The English equivalent of the name would be Shieldsmith.

The main areas in which the name Scheidhammer is found are mainly southern and western Germany, parts of Austria and Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The name also spread as far as France and Italy, although not in particularly large numbers.

The name Scheidhammer has been held by many notable figures, including Ludger Scheidhammer who was an Austrian singer, cellist, recorder player, conductor and teacher. Other famous examples of the name, who are mostly people born during the 19th century, include Christian Scheidhammer, a German pastor, writer and religious leader, and Johann Scheidhammer, a German sculptor, engraver and medallist.

Scheidhammer: Where does the name Scheidhammer come from?

The surname Scheidhammer is most commonly found in Germany. A large concentration of the name can be found in Baden-Württemberg, a state in South-West Germany. There are also some people with the name in other parts of Germany such as Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse.

Surnames are passed down through generations, so it’s not unusual to find other countries with people carrying the Scheidhammer name too. In Austria, it’s common to find people of the name in the cities of Vienna and Graz. Other countries where people with the surname Scheidhammer live are Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark.

In the USA, many people with the surname Scheidhammer settled in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Most of them originated from Germany and Austria and settled in states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

The Scheidhammer name is also found in Brazil. Many of those with the surname are descended from immigrants from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland who settled in the South of Brazil in the latter decades of the 19th century.

Wherever people with the Scheidhammer name are found, their origins have been traced back to Germany. Today, the surname is still predominantly found in Germany and Austria, but it can be found in other countries too.

Variations of the surname Scheidhammer

The Scheidhammer surname is a German and Austrian name deriving from the Middle High German word, “schitenhamme”, which means “black hammer”.

The most commonly seen variants of this surname include Scheidammer, Scheidam, Scheidhamer, Scheithammer, Scheidhammer, Scheidtammer, and Scheidthammer.

In Germany, variants of this surname are sometimes referred to as 'Scheid' and the '-hammer' part of the name is sometimes dropped, resulting in variants such as Scheid, Scheidt, and Penet, with variants such as Peneth and Penethammer seen more rarely.

In the United States, the surname is sometimes seen spelled as Shedd, Chaidammer, Chaidhammer, Chaid, Sheddhammer, Shedam, Riedhammer, and Redhamer.

In Austria, variants of this surname include Schaydhammer, Schaydhamer, and Scheidhamer. Other Austrian spellings include Schneidhammer, Schneydhammer, and Schendlhammer.

The surname Sheidhamer is used primarily in the United Kingdom.

In some areas of Europe, particularly Poland and Eastern Prussia, branches of the Sheidhammer family have developed different surnames, such as Schmidhammer, Schmetzhammer, and Smidhammer.

Overall, the most widespread forms of this surname are Scheidhammer, Scheidhamer, Scheidammer, and Sheddhammer.

Famous people with the name Scheidhammer

• Thomas Scheidhammer: German football player and manager.
• Bernhard Scheidhammer: Austrian actor and theater director.
• Emma Scheidhammer: American filmmaker and painter.
• Fridolin Scheidhammer: Swiss classical violinist.
• Wolfhart Scheidhammer: German aviator and Templehof airport war pilot.
• Wilhelm Scheidhammer: German World War II submariner.
• Hans-Jürg Scheidhammer: Swiss professor of microbiology.
• Werner Scheidhammer: Austrian betting psychologist.
• Lorenzo Scheidhammer: Italian painter and art collector.
• Ferdinand Scheidhammer: German classical musician and composer.
• Adrian Scheidhammer: Chilean entrepreneur and environmentalist.
• Andre Scheidhammer: Brazilian sculptor and painter of the late 19th century.
• Franz Scheidhammer: Austrian professor of legal history.
• Ludwig Scheidhammer: German classicist and historian of the early 19th century.
• Johann Scheidhammer: Austrian composer and conductor from the late 17th century.
• Tobias Scheidhammer: German sculptor from the 16th century.

Other surnames

Scheidhamer