Surname Tschermak - Meaning and Origin
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Tschermak: What does the surname Tschermak mean?
The last name Tschermak is of Germanic origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word "tschurm" which means chopping, cutting or pruning. The name was originally used to refer to a forester or wood cutter and is typically found in southern Germany. During the 15th and 16th centuries, it was used as a surname by noble families in modern-day Silesia.
The name Tschermak can be found in different variations all over the world, including "Tschiramke", "Tschirmackh", or "Chramka". This suggests it is an old name which has been modified over the years due to immigration. In the United States, Tschermaks are predominantly found in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The meaning of a surname can be a source of pride for the bearer. Tschermak implies longevity in a profession. It pays tribute to the original holder of the name, a forester whose skill and craftsmanship enabled them to provide for their family and pass down their name in the process.
Order DNA origin analysisTschermak: Where does the name Tschermak come from?
The last name Tschermak is most commonly found today in Austria and many other parts of central and eastern Europe. It is derived from the German-language name for a farmer or agricultural worker, “Tschermacher”.
Today, the last name is found primarily in Austria, where it is the 26th most common last name. In other parts of Europe, it is much less common, though it can be found in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
In the United States, immigration from Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries saw the introduction of the Tschermak name to the United States, though the name is not particularly common. The earliest records of the name in the US can be found in the earliest census records, where families with the Tschermak name can be found in cities like New York, Chicago, and St. Louis. Today, the name can be found scattered throughout the east and Midwestern regions, but remains rare in the West.
As for the rest of the world, Tschermak is an uncommon last name. While a few small clusters can be found in Canada, the name is generally rare elsewhere in the Americas. In Asia and the Pacific, almost no records of the Tschermak name exist. In Australia and New Zealand, the name is quite rare as well, though not unheard of.
The Tschermak name is thus most commonly found in Austria, where it has been a part of the country’s culture for hundreds of years. In other parts of the world, the name remains an uncommon one.
Variations of the surname Tschermak
The surname Tschermak is of German-Austrian origin and is an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German words "tscheren" or "scheren" meaning "to shear". The spelling of this surname has varied over the years from tscharmerack, zschernagel, schernagl, zschernack, schermack, zschermack, zschermaack, cschernack, cschermann, cschernack, schermann and so on.
The variant surnames of Tschermak include Chenal, Chernal, Chernack, Chernick, Sherman, Scherneck, Schermann, Schirmack, Shermack, Scherr, Scherrer, Schernack, Schernal, Schernick, Schorner, Sherhanic, Scherning, Sshirman, Tschernics, Tschiernak, Tschirimaack, Tschernack, Tschernagel and Tschernal.
The variant spellings include Tscharmerack, Zschernagel, Schernagl, Zschernack, Schermack, Zschermack, Zschermaack, Cschernack, Cschermann, Cschernack, Schermann and so on.
In Austria and Germany, the surname Tschermak was popularized by the Tschermak von Seysenegg family, many of whom were aristocrats during the 18th and 19th centuries. That same family is responsible for the origin of almost all of the surname's variants and spellings. Many of the variants and spellings of the surname in its other incarnations are also used by Jewish populations, suggesting the surname's prevalence amongst those of the Jewish faith as well.
In North America, the variant spellings have been Anglicized over the years. As such, the less common spellings are often used to describe descendants of the original Tschermak family.
Famous people with the name Tschermak
- Erich Tschermak von Seysenegg: an Austrian geneticist and agronomist who was one of the first to recognize Gregor Mendel's work in plant breeding.
- Charlotte Tschermak-Woess: an Austrian figure skater, considered one of the most dominant female pairs skaters of the mid-1980s.
- Lore Tschermak-Greiner: an Austrian-Canadian theoretical physicist and professor.
- Martin Tschermak-von Seysenegg: Austrian botanist, considered one of the most influential and innovative botanists of the twentieth century.
- Eduard Tschermak von Seysenegg: a son of Erich Tschermak, who was also an Austrian agronomist and considered one of the primary proponents of Mendelian Genetics.
- Antoinette Tschermak-Reich: Austrian figure skater, sister of Charlotte, and considered one of the best female pairs skaters of the late 1980s.
- Otto Tschermak von Seysenegg: Austrian agricultural scientist, researcher, and the co-author of the famous “Tschermak-Seysenegg Inheritance Theory".
- Jean-Paul Tschermak: a Swiss psychologist who was considered one of the pioneers of performance psychology, specializing in helping elite athletes excel.
- Leo Tschermak von Seysenegg: an Austrian zoologist and entomologist known for his work on the hybridization of plants and animals.
- Enzo Tschermak: an Italian painter and sculptor who worked in Italy, France, and Sweden. His works are mainly abstract geometric sculptures.