Surname Schelinski - Meaning and Origin

Schelinski: What does the surname Schelinski mean?

The surname Schelinski is of German origin and refers to someone who hailed from the town of Schlieckau in Lower Silesia in today's southwest Poland. It is a topographical name, meaning one who lived on land that was not heavily wooded, with the prefix schel- meaning "sandy" and the suffix -in indicating the place lived in by the original bearer of the name.

The use of the name itself dates back to the late medieval period, making it one of the older, established surnames in the German language. It was first recorded in the year 1412 in Upper Silesia, with the notable Helmold Schelincki, being first noted in the town register of that year.

The name is still found in Germany today, while it has spread to a number of other countries as well, including the United States. Today, the Schelinski family could be found in many parts of the world, showing that the original surname has come across time and distance to be a part of many different people’s lives.

Schelinski: Where does the name Schelinski come from?

The last name Schelinski is most commonly found in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe.

In Germany, the name Schelinksi is one of the five thousand most common surnames, according to the Genealogical Society of Germany. It has been found in a number of records, including in the Prussian province of Brandenburg in the sixteenth century.

In the United States, the surname can be found in areas that had large numbers of German and European immigration, such as Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and Texas. It is particularly common in Wisconsin.

In the United Kingdom, the name is most common in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.

Throughout Europe, the last name Schelinksi is particularly popular in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union.

The surname Schelinski is believed to be a variation of the name Schillings, and it is possible to trace its usage back to the sixteenth century, when it was used as both a given name and a surname. The origin of the name is thought to be a combination of two German words, “schilling” and “kin,” which mean “money” and “family” respectively.

Variations of the surname Schelinski

The surname Schelinski is of Slavic origin and is derived from the given name ‘Schel’, which stands for ‘fierce’ or ‘strong-willed’. It is also found spelled as ‘Schelinskij’ and ‘Schelinsky’, as well as variants such as Skalinski, Skollinski and Skalinskij.

Within Poland, both the spellings ‘Schelinskij’ and ‘Schelinsky’ are widely used and can be encountered throughout the country, while ‘Schelinski’ is less common. The same is true in countries with large Slavic populations, such as Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

In other European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy, however, forms of the surname tend to appear more commonly as ‘Skalinski’, ‘Skollinski’ and ‘Skalinskij’.

While the surname Schelinski has some common variants, common surnames of a similar origin include Pschelinski, Schelinskiy and Shelinski. These could indicate that the original families had some distant lineage.

In 97 countries in Eastern Europe, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia, ‘Skolinski’ is the most popular spelling.

Overall, the Schelinski surname is used by thousands of people and its variants are widely spread throughout Europe and the world.

Famous people with the name Schelinski

• Biff Schelinski: American professional wrestler.
• Karolina Schelinska: Polish actress and dancer.
• Roman Schelinski: Polish poet and illustrator of books for children.
• Stefan Schelinski: German film and television actor.
• Waldemar Schelinski: German psychiatrist and colonist.
• Robert Schelinski: German painter in the 19th century.
• Reinhard Schelinski: German illustrator and graphic designer.
• Antoni Schelinski: Polish nuclear physicist and professor at the University of Warsaw.
• Fritz Schelinski: German composer.
• Jen Schelinski: American professional golfer.
• Maxine Schelinski: Canadian judoka and Pan American medalist.
• Robert Schelinski: German sculptor known for his art nouveau-style public fountains.
• Leif Schelinski: German anti-Nazi activist.
• Roger Schelinski: American jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger.

Other surnames

Schelinsky