Schaefer surname meaning
A German and Ashkenazic Jewish occupational surname for a shepherd, from Schäfer, an agent form of Schaf, “sheep.”
The short story
Schaefer is the common American spelling of German Schäfer, an occupational name for a shepherd formed from Schaf (Middle High German schāf), “sheep.” The same occupational surname is well established among Ashkenazic Jews and appears in Hungary and Czechia. Schafer, Schaeffer, and Schaffer are frequent variants in U.S. records; Schaffer can also represent a separate German name for a steward or bailiff, so spellings overlap without always sharing one origin. Occupation is high confidence for Schaefer/Schäfer proper: the shepherd sense is the standard dictionary reading of this spelling.
Also seen as: Schaefer, Schäfer, Schafer, Schaffer, Schaeffer
- Ancestry / DAFN entry for Schaefer (German/Jewish Schäfer shepherd from Schaf “sheep”)
- Wikipedia “Schaeffer” (Schaefer shepherd vs Schaffer steward)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)