Surname Schöberlein - Meaning and Origin

Schöberlein: What does the surname Schöberlein mean?

The last name Schöberlein is an etymologically German surname, derived from a diminutive of the Middle High German term Schober, which means “haystack” or “grain rick.” It is likely that Schöberlein initially referred to someone who was a keeper of haystacks or a supplier of grain, and it is believed that such people were active over the centuries in some variation of these roles. This surname has been traced in records of various regions of Germany since at least the 1500s.

In modern usage, Schöberlein can refer to a variety of people in a variety of roles. It is commonly used as a surname in Germany, the United States, and other countries with Germanic influence, and there are many people in those areas who bear this name. It has also been adopted for occasional use as a given name, as well as for use in some works of fiction.

In addition, the term “Schöberlein” has come to be used as a generalized term to describe someone who is expected to take care of haystacks and other grains, although it is not strictly used in that capacity today. Here, the usage of the term is derived from its history as an occupational term, although its modern usage may not bear any actual resemblance to the terms historical meaning.

In short, the last name Schöberlein is German in origin and suggests that someone associated with the surname was part of the hay or grain trade. Despite its origin, today it can be given to people of all walks of life who bear it as a surname, or who are given it as a given name, and it has come to be used in a variety of settings.

Schöberlein: Where does the name Schöberlein come from?

The last name Schöberlein is most commonly found today in Germany and the German-speaking countries of Central Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland. According to a surname analysis by Ancestry.com, there are approximately 7,150 people with this surname living in Germany today.

Schöberlein is a German surname derived from an occupational name for a reeve, a person who held administrative and judicial authority within a given area, with the literal meaning of “master of accounts”. As a common German surname, it is also found and used in other countries with large German diasporas, such as the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands.

In the United States, Schöberlein was recorded as a variant spelling of Schoemaker, a Dutch occupational surname, during the period of the mass migration of German immigrants from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Today, Schöberlein is used in the U.S. and Canada by the descendants of Germanic immigrants who kept the traditional spelling when they arrived and by those who adopted the surname at a later time, likely due to marriage or adoption.

In general, Schöberlein remains a rare surname and is found in smaller numbers wherever it is used. With the proliferation of genealogical resources and searchable databases, however, those with a shared lineage and common surname can find one another and possibly uncover more about their ancestral origins.

Variations of the surname Schöberlein

The surname Schöberlein has many different variants and spelling that all have the same origin. It is a surname that originated in German and is part of the larger family of Germanic surnames. The most common variant of the Schöberlein surname is Schaeferlein, which is derived from the German word "Schaefer" which translates as "shepherd". This explains the occurrence of the surname in areas of Germany with significant agricultural activity. Other variants of the Schöberlein surname include Schoebell, Schoebel, Schoebellin, Schoebelen, Schoebelin, Schoebeler, Schoebellinger, Schaebeler, Schibbeler, and Schibelin.

The surname Schöberlein is also found in English speaking countries. In these countries its spelling is often changed to accommodate the phonetics of the language, and variants include Sheafar, Sheaffer, Scheffer, Schaeffer, and Shepher.

In the United States, the spellings of Schöberlein and its variants have been anglicized and they can be found under such spellings as Schefer, Sheffer, Shafer, and Shaffer.

Overall, Schöberlein is a surname of Germanic origin and there are a variety of variants and spellings that all have the same root. The most common variant is Schaeferlein, which is derived from the German word Schaefer. Other variants include Schoebell, Schoebel, Schoebellin, Schoebelen, Schoebelin, Schoebeler, Schoebellinger, Schaebeler, Schibbeler, and Schibelin. In English speaking countries, the surname is likely to be found under the names Sheafar, Sheaffer, Scheffer, Schaeffer, and Shepher. In the United States, it is often anglicized to Sheffer, Shafer, Schefer, and Shaffer.

Famous people with the name Schöberlein

• Bernhard Schöberlein (1825–1893), German physician and physiologist
• Clifford Schöberlein (born 1945), American actor and playwright
• Erhard Schöberlein (1918–2012), leading figure in the German Democratic Republic after World War II
• Gustav Schöberlein (1845–1923), German zoologist and founder of the Acquarium-Aquaristische Verein
• Johannes Schöberlein (1827–1890), German painter
• Paul Schöberlein (1830–1897), Austrian lithographer
• Siegfried Schöberlein (born 1964), German Olympic field hockey player
• Stephen Schöberlein (born 1952), American writer and professor of English
• Wilhelm Schöberlein (1921–2013), German World War II soldier

Other surnames

Schöberle