Surname Reifferscheidt - Meaning and Origin

Reifferscheidt: What does the surname Reifferscheidt mean?

The last name Reifferscheidt is derived from German and has two primary meanings. The first meaning is a combination of the words “reif” meaning “ripe” and “scheidt” meaning “separation” to create the name “separator of ripe things.” This may refer to one who harvested crops or perhaps a person who performed ritual slaughtering of animals. The second meaning comes from the combination of the words “reif” meaning “brave” and “scheidt” meaning “groom” or “servant,” thus translating to “a brave or noble servant.” The name may have originated from someone with a family lineage of bravery or service, or perhaps it even came from a specific name of a military office.

The name Reifferscheidt most likely originated in Germany and most notably in the Rhineland region by the Moselle river. Records from the 1600’s show people with this name in the dioceses of Trier, Speyer, and Worms. The surname was especially prominent during the 1600s after the Thirty Years War when many soldiers dispersed into the Dutch provinces and Belgian provinces. Today, the name Reifferscheidt is most common in German-speaking countries, however there are several other countries where the surname is found, such as the US, Britain, and Canada.

Reifferscheidt: Where does the name Reifferscheidt come from?

The last name Reifferscheidt is commonly found today in Germany, Luxembourg, and parts of Belgium. The last name was first mentioned in the archives of Germany in 1315, and it is derived from the German word ‘Reiferscheid', which is believed to be derived from a place-name. The name Reifferscheidt is believed to have come from the surname of the family that lived near the Reifferscheidt Castle in Wachtendonk, Germany.

The Reifferscheidt family is believed to have originated from western Germany, and through their involvement in the local nobility, they became a prominent family. The name is most associated with the Reifferscheidt Castle, which was built during the 14th and 15th centuries. The castle was the residence and headquarters for the Reifferscheidts, and was a major feat of engineering and construction during the Middle Ages.

Reifferscheidt is still a common name in western Germany today. It is most often found in the Lower Rhine region, in particular in the cities of Bonn, Düsseldorf, and Cologne, as well as in Ebach-Reifferscheidt, a community in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Luxembourg, the last name is found in Wiltz, Dudelange, and Luxembourg City, while in Belgium, it is found mainly in the Walloon Region. It is also common in other parts of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Variations of the surname Reifferscheidt

Reifferscheidt is a German surname derived from a placename. The name itself is composed of two elements: Reiff and Scheidt (or Schet). The former is an old German word that refers to a person involved in the "minning industry", while the latter is derived from the name Scheide which means border or divide.

The basic form of the surname is Reifferscheidt, but there are several variants that one can come across: Reiferscheidt, Reiferscheerd, Reifferscheerdt, Reuferscheidt, Rieferscheid, Rieferscheider, Rieferscheidt, Rieferscheider, Riefferscheidt, Riefferscheer, Riefferscheerd, Riefferscheerdt, Ryfferscheidt, Ryfferschmidt.

The surname is also spelled as Reyfferscheid, Rheifferscheid, Rhufferschiedt, Rifferscheid, Rifferscheidt and Ryferschiedt.

Surnames of the same origin include Reff, Rief, Riefel, Riefer, Rorical, Ruction, Ructon, Runcton, Runfter and Rundt.

In all, the surname Reiffershceidt and its variant spellings show the robustness of German names, as any given name can have multiple spellings and even other related or unrelated surnames.

Famous people with the name Reifferscheidt

• Werner Reifferscheidt: Former Dutch footballer
• Jens Reifferscheidt: German footballer
• Vivien Reifferscheidt: German fashion model
• Patrick Reifferscheidt: Belgium professional basketball player
• Christoph Reifferscheidt: German football manager
• Mark Reifferscheidt: German professional basketball player
• Alfred Reifferscheidt: German entomologist and naturalist
• Greg Reifferscheidt: American actor, writer and director
• Andre Reifferscheidt: Former German footballer
• Arturo Reifferscheidt: Mexican professional footballer

Other surnames

Reifferscheid