Hafner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Hafner

What does the name Hafner mean?

The Hafner surname comes from the Middle High German words "hafner," or "hafen," meaning "pot," or "dish." As such, Hafner was originally an occupational name for a potter.

Early Origins of the Hafner family

The surname Hafner was first found in Austria and southern Bavaria, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early modern Europe. The family became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses. These played important roles in local political conflicts, in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Hugo Hafinare of Constance in the year 1158, Uli Hafner (Haefeli) of the Aargau region in 1490, and Hueglin Haffner of Kirchheim in 1406. Chronicles also mention an ancient branch of the family whose members were knights of the Kingdom of Styria from 1310 to 1478.

Early History of the Hafner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hafner research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1631, 1640, 1702, 1735, 1741, 1759, 1764, 1776, 1782, 1833 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Hafner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hafner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Haffner, Hafner, Haafner, Hafener, Haffener, Haeffner, Heffner, Haefner, Hefner, Haefeli (Swiss) and many more.

Early Notables of the Hafner family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Hafner were

Phillip Hafner (1735-1764), was an Austrian lawyer who later became a dramatist...

Hafner Ranking

In the United States, the name Hafner is the 8,831^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Hafner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hafner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Frederick Hafner, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Frederick Hafner, who landed in Maryland in 1749 2
John Michael Hafner, who arrived in Maryland in 1749 2
John George Hafner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
John Geo Hafner, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1761 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hafner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Jacob Hafner, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 2
John G Hafner, who arrived in Maryland in 1810 2
Mr. Christian Hafner, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard"
Mrs. Hafner, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard", mother of Christian
Leonard Hafner, who landed in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Element" 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hafner (post 1700) +

Francis R. Hafner (1867-1957), American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Cowboys in 1888
Anton Hafner, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 204 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Reinhard Häfner (1952-2016), German footballer and coach
Ludwig Häfner (1921-1942), German Luftwaffe ace credited with 52 aerial victories, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Josef Anton Hafner (1709-1756), German painter
Anton "Toni" Hafner (1918-1944), German former Luftwaffe fighter ace, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II
Ludwig Häfner, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 52 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Katie Hafner, American technology reporter at The New York Times
Sabina Hafner (b. 1984), Swiss silver and bronze medalist bobsledder
Ingrid Hafner (1936-1994), British actress, daughter of Raoul Hafner
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)