Surname Schnettger - Meaning and Origin

Schnettger: What does the surname Schnettger mean?

The last name Schnettger is considered to be of German origin, and is derived from the old German word "schnettger," which means "stony field" or "stonecutter." It may have been a profession adopted by the family or a description of the environment they lived in.

The surname is likely a topographical name for someone living near a stony or rocky field, or it could refer to someone who worked in quarrying or stonecutting. It is also probable that the surname refers to someone who owned a stone farm or quarry.

Over time, as the family migrated and its members settled in various areas in Germany, the surname Schlitterger or Schnetterger has taken on a variety of spellings, which include Schnettger, Schnetterger, Schnettger, Schmetzger, Schenterger and Schnitterger.

The surname is unique and not common in other countries, which suggests that the family had limited its movement outside of Germany. It can still be found in places in Germany like Hessen, Baden-Württemberg and Bayern, as well as small parts of Poland and the Czech Republic.

The Schneider family crest is a gold-colored half moon on a blue field. The design is believed to have been inspired from a 14th century shield, and has upon it a red rifle. This symbol was a sign of courage and strength and a powerful reminder of an individual’s family heritage. The Schneider family motto reads: “Alles wird wieder werden”, which translates to “Everything will be alright” in English.

Schnettger: Where does the name Schnettger come from?

The surname Schnettger is most commonly found in Germany today. The surname originated in the German region of Lower Saxony but is also found in places like Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. In Germany, the surname is most common in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, and Lower Saxony. In fact, in 2020, the Statistical Office of Lower Saxony stated that the surname Schnettger was the 108th most common surname in the state and approximately 1 of every 3,355 people in Lower Saxony has the last name Schnettger.

The surname can also be found in other countries outside of Germany such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the surname is most commonly found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Michigan.

Schnettger is a patronymic surname that originated with the Middle High German name "Schnetter", which is a Germanized form of the Old French name Senetier. In German, the surname means ‘Malterer’ or ‘Malt-maker’, a person who made barley malt for brewing beer.

Today, some people with the surname Schnettger have taken to writing the name in various forms, such as Schnetger, Schnetenhauer, Schnettinger, and Schnetzer. Even though the surname is not as common as it once was, information about the name and its history is still readily available online.

Variations of the surname Schnettger

The surname Schnettger is a German surname which originated in Central Europe. The variants, spellings and surnames with same origin are often found to be spelt, pronounced or even written differently in different languages and regions around the world. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Schnettger includes Schnetger, Schnetterer, Schnetter, Schnetger, Schnettgens, Schnettgerin, Schnetgere, Schnettgren, Schnetgrin, Schnetgart, Schnetgerbergen, Schnetgerl, Schnetgermann and Schnatger.

Schnetger is believed to be the oldest form of the surname and is found mainly in Bavaria and Austria. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word ‘schnet’ meaning ‘fresh’. Schnetter means person from Schnetten which is a small village within Rheinland - that is located in the South-western part of Germany. Schnetterer was derived from a location called Schnetterin, which was situated in the Erzgebirge mountain range of Germany near the border with Czechia.

Schnettgens and Schnettgerin are believed to have been derived from the root surname of Schnetter. Schnetgere and Schnettgren are believed to have been derived from the Middle High German word ‘grene’ meaning ‘timid’. Schnetgrin may have originated from a place called Schnetgrin, which is a small town in western Bavaria. Schnetgart was a location near the village of Arnshaugk. It was derived from the Medieval German word ‘gart’ meaning ‘enclosed field’.

Schnetgerbergen is another variant of the same root surname, that is believed to be derived from the German words ‘berg’ meaning ‘mountain’ and ‘gam’ meaning ‘place’. Schnetgerl is derived from the Medieval German word ‘gerle’, which meant a young unmarried woman. Schnettermann was derived from the German word ‘mann’ meaning ‘man’.

Lastly, Schnatger is believed to have been derived from the Middle High German word ‘sant’ meaning ‘holy’. It is one of the oldest recorded variant of the surname Schnettger.

Famous people with the name Schnettger

• Nathan Schnettger: Nathan Schnettger is an American volleyball player who played for the U.S. National Team from 1999 to 2004. He is currently the head coach of the German Women's National Team and the Professional Club VfB Friedrichshafen.
• Karl Schnettger: Karl Schnettger was a 19th-century German theologian who worked as a professor at the University of Bonn. He specialized in biblical exegesis and hermeneutics.
• Mark Schnettger: Mark Schnettger is a former American rower who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and was part of the gold-medal winning coxed eights teams in the 1994 and 1995 FISA world championships.
• Dr. William R. Schnettger: Dr. William R. Schnettger is a professor emeritus of the University of Minnesota and the former dean of their Graduate School of Public Health. He has an extensive background in epidemiology, public health and biostatistics.
• Paul Schnettger: Paul Schnettger was a German-American herbalist, best known for creating the Herbal Compendium of Health and Nutrition and the legendary herbal cleaning products line Schnettger Remedies. 6.? Hans Christian Schnettger: Hans Christian Schnettger was a German composer of operas and other musical compositions. He composed the music for several operas, chorales, and piano pieces.

Other surnames

Schnettker