Surname Schätzer - Meaning and Origin

Schätzer: What does the surname Schätzer mean?

Schätzer is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word “schate,” meaning “treasure.” It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who was in charge of a nobleman’s treasury or tax collection.

The surname is often mistaken for the more well-known last name Schatz, which is derived from the German word for “darling” or “sweetheart.” This confusion may be due to the similar spelling of the two words, as Schätzer has one letter more in the middle than Schatz.

The German surname Schätzer is likely to have originally belonged to people who were employed to manage and protect a nobleman’s wealth and possessions, and this duty was likely handed down from generation to generation. It is also possible that those who bore the last name Schätzer had their own treasury of possessions, which they managed themselves, and which may have included jewels or valuable artifacts.

Today, the surname Schätzer is not found as often as many other German names, but is still relatively common. It is frequently seen across both Western and Northern Europe, and has also been carried overseas to many other countries, including the United States.

Schätzer: Where does the name Schätzer come from?

The last name Schätzer is most commonly found in Germany and Austria today. According to the website Forebears, Schätzer is the 4,894th most common last name in the world. It is the most popular surname in Austria, where it is ranked 87th most common. In Germany, it is ranked 6,552nd, with the most concentration of Schätzers living in the cured-meat producing city of Frankfurt am Main, and other cities in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Surname origin theorists speculate that the Schätzer name is derived from the Middle High German word schazere or scazere, which referred to an occupational role that involved counting and measuring, typically in regards to a person's taxable wealth.

Schätzers can also be found spread throughout other countries in Europe, such as Switzerland, and outside of the continent, with migrants having traveled to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia during the 20th century.

The Schätzer surname may also be anglicized as the surname Shatz or Shatter in many English-speaking countries.

Variations of the surname Schätzer

The surname Schätzer is a German (and Austrian) variant of the Jewish last name Shatser, which is a variant of the Yiddish and Hebrew name שטרער (Sheyner). The spellings in German and Austrian are Schätzer and Schätzler, respectively.

The spelling of the surname can also be found as Shätzer, Şatzér, Schätzerle, Szätzerl, Schatter, Shatter, Shatz, Shatzer, and Szatzer. Other variants are Szatzer, Szätzler, Schätzler, and Schätzeler.

In some cases, Schätzer is spelled with an umlaut—Schäützer. Variants with umlauts include Schäützler, Schäüzler, Schä¨tzler, Szä¨tzle, and Şatzér̂e.

The surname is also found in other parts of Europe, such as France, where it is known as Château, Châtel, Châtizeur, and Châtelier. In Russia, variants are Ша́тцер, Шатцер, Шатцерль, Шатцерле, Шаткер, Shatz, Shatsel. In Hungary, the name appears as Szátzer. In Greece, variants are Σατσέρ and Σατσερές.

In the USA and Canada, the surname is often found in the anglicized form, Shatter. A few other anglicized variations are Shatzer, Shatz, Schatz, Schwartz, Chatter, and Chaszar.

It is important to note that Schätzer can also be found as a given name, and therefore, can be found in combination with various prefixes and suffixes, such as von Schätz or von Schätzer, Schätzer-Schätzer, and Schätzer-van Schätz.

Famous people with the name Schätzer

• Hans Schätzer: German aviator and member of the Luftwaffe during World War II
• Hubert Schätzer: Swiss professional football manager
• Olivier Schätzer: Swiss cyclist
• Tony Schätzer: German former ski jumper
• Dimitri Schätzer: German former alpine ski racer
• Hermann Schätzer: Austrian clergyman and diplomat
• Pascal Schätzer: Swiss former footballer
• Mathias Schätzer: German footballer
• Anastasia Schätzer: Austrian singer and songwriter
• Llyr Schätzer: Swiss professional snowboarder
• Lars Schätzer: Swedish former professional ice hockey player
• Stefan Schätzer: German former soccer player
• Evelina Schätzer: Swedish television and film actress
• Rudolf Schätzer: Tyrolean sculptor
• Gil Schätzer-Vieux: French-Canadian film and television producer
• Ruth Schätzer: Swiss actress
• Marcus Schätzer: German professional footballer
• Tom Schätzer: German former professional soccer player
• Karl-Heinz Schätzer: German professional footballer
• Arnold Schätzer: German former professional footballer.

Other surnames

SchatzelSchätzel