Shifer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Shifer

What does the name Shifer mean?

Medieval Austria is the ancient homeland of the Shifer family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Shifer family

The surname Shifer was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in Austrian affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Shifer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shifer research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1708, 1847 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Shifer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shifer Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Shifer include Schiff, Schiffner, Schifer, Schiffs, Schiffe and many more.

Early Notables of the Shifer family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shifer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Shifer family

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Shifer or a variant listed above: Philip Schiffer, who arrived in New York in 1709-10; Bernard Schiffer came to Philadelphia in 1738; as well as Paul Schiffer in the same year; Hans Schiff came to Philadelphia in 1751.