Schaeffer Family Crest and Last Name Background

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Schaffer surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

Meaning of the name

Records tie Schaeffer closely to Schaffer. Its meaning, shared with Schaffer, is “Shepherd / steward”.

Schaeffer adds “e” to Schaffer, a small change that crept in as the name was written down. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard. In the 2010 US Census, 16,024 Americans gave Schaeffer as their last name (rank 2,272). That is enough to place it in the top 2,500 American surnames. French civil records give 7,785 births under the name Schaeffer from 1891 to 2000, peaking in 1951–1960.

Want more than a summary? See the Schaeffer family name pack.