Surname Gscheidmeyer - Meaning and Origin

Gscheidmeyer: What does the surname Gscheidmeyer mean?

The surname Gscheidmeyer has German origins and translates to “one who is from the meadows”. Derived from the German words “Gscheid” and “Meyer”, the name literally refers to a person who resides in a meadow or the countryside.

Historically, the German surname was common among farmers who owned and tended vast plots of land in the rural regions of the country. They often cultivated the land for agricultural purposes, raising crops and animals for sustenance and commerce. As such, the last name of Gscheidmeyer has come to symbolize hard work, perseverance, and a love of the land.

The suffix “-meyer” is shared by many other German surnames, such as Beyer and Kramer, all of which reference the location of one’s home. In other words, the last name Gscheidmeyer indicates that one’s ancestors originally came from a certain meadow or rural area.

Living with this last name today, one may feel a deep sense of pride in their German heritage and culture. It reflects a steadfastness and dedication to one’s homeland, and carries a message of hard work that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Gscheidmeyer: Where does the name Gscheidmeyer come from?

The last name Gscheidmeyer is not an overly common name today, however, it is most commonly found in Germany and parts of Central Europe. Germany is the origin country of this surname, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Records of the name date back to 1247, where it was recorded in East Prussia. The name was likely derived from the German word ‘gmkidscheid’, which is a variant of the word ‘gmkisscheid’ and means boundary or region.

Today, the last name Gscheidmeyer is most oftentimes found in the southeastern part of Germany in states such as Baden-Württemberg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Berlin, and Brandenburg. It is also commonly found in nearby countries such as Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland. The name can also be found scattered throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of South America and Africa.

In 2020, the surname Gscheidmeyer was estimated to have 10,000-15,000 bearers around the world, although it is likely underreported due to its regional nature. The majority of Gscheidmeyers in recent decades are located near the German speaking regions, although the spread of the name around the world is not unexpected.

Variations of the surname Gscheidmeyer

The surname Gscheidmeyer is a German patronymic surname originated from the Middle German word “ge-scheit” which mean“clever” or “wise”. Patronymic surnames arose out of the naming tradition of adopting the father’s given name as a surname in Western Europe and in German-speaking countries.

Variants of the surname Gscheidmeyer include Gscheidmayr, Gscheidmaier, Gscheidmayer, Gscheidmeijer and Gscheidmeier. It is also found in numerous other spellings which reflect the local linguistic preferences. These include Gscheiddmayr, Gscheitmeyer, Gschaidermejer and Gscheitmayer.

When immigrants with this surname arrived in North America, Gscheidmeyer was quite often anglicised to “Schmidtmeyer, Schmedemeyer, Shedemeyer, Sheidmeijer or Shumaker”. In the US state of Connecticut, some bearers of the surname have taken on the name Smart, while in Pennsylvania they adopted Savant as their surname.

In other parts of the world, people with the Gscheidmeyer surname often adopted the spelling Gßchidmeyer, which reflects the native pronunciation more closely, as well as Gschiedmeyer, Gschiedmaier, Gschiedmeier, Gscneidmeyer, Gescheidermeyer, Gescheidmayr and Gesscheidmayer.

In conclusion, there are many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the Gscheidmeyer surname, reflecting the particular linguistic and cultural environment in which it was found.

Famous people with the name Gscheidmeyer

• Richard Gscheidmeyer, German film producer most known for “The Nasty Girl” and producer and creative producer of shows like “Traumfrauen” and “Man in the High Castle”.
• Friedrich Gscheidmeyer, German businessman and CEO of the now-defunct Gscheidmeyer Gruppe, an investment management and financial services company.
• Manfred Gscheidmeyer, German football manager and CEO of Rot-Weiss Essen, a German professional football club.
• Johann Gscheidmeyer, German pilot who took part in the Second World War and later became a celebrated engineer for Lufthansa.
• Myriam Gscheidmeyer, German cinematographer, best known for her work on the films “The Nasty Girl” and “The Bridge”.
• Jouin Gscheidmeyer, German photographer and filmmaker, most famous for his work documenting 20th century Berlin.
• Georg Gscheidmeyer, German Watchmaker who created the "Gscheidmeyer-watch" which was distributed worldwide in1949.
• Thomas Gscheidmeyer, German football player and manager, former coach for Schalke 04 and winner of the German Football Manager of the Year Award.
• Andrea Gscheidmeyer, German interior designer who is renowned for her work in high-end residential and retail designs.
• Ulrike Gscheidmeyer, German film director and screenplay writer, most famously known for her work on the short movie “Das Glück, das mich besucht hat”.

Other surnames

Gscheidmeier