Surname Pfaue - Meaning and Origin

Pfaue: What does the surname Pfaue mean?

The last name Pfaue is German in origin. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word “pfau”, meaning peacock. This surname was likely given to an ancestor of the bearer as a nickname or ornamental name due to some association with a peacock.

The peacock has often been used as a symbol of spirituality and purity in many cultures, and could have been used to denote an upright or noble personality. The peacock is also a symbol of love and royalty, and could have been a tribute to these qualities in an ancestor.

It is also possible that the name was derived from another, similar German word, such as the Middle High German word “pfoue”, which means to be ashamed. This could have been a way to hint at a distinctive sense of shame among ancestors of the bearer.

Regardless of the origin and meaning of the name, Pfaue is a unique and interesting name that can be traced back to its Middle High German roots. The bearer of this last name has much to be proud of in terms of their cultural heritage and complexity of their last name.

Pfaue: Where does the name Pfaue come from?

The last name Pfaue is common particularly in Southwestern Germany. In particular, it is one of the more prominent names in Baden-Wurttemberg, the third-most populous state in Germany. It is one of the most common names in the cities of Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Karlsruhe.

The variants of the Pfaue surname include Pfau, Pfeu, Pfäu, Pfäue, Pffau, and Pfäffau. This is due to the evolution of languages such as German and Yiddish, which have variants of spelling for certain words, such as Pfaue.

Pfaue is an occupational surname which comes from the Germanic word "pfau", which means peacock. This indicates that at one point, generations ago, either a member of the family bred or owned peacocks as part of their occupation. Additionally, the name Pfaue is associated with a place in the Rhineland-Palatinate with a historical connection to a court and its crest.

Outside of Germany, the Pfaue surname can be found in all corners of the globe. In the United States, Pfaue has been recorded as far back as the 1700s and is located predominantly in Texas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Additionally, Pfaue is present in Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Pfaue

The surname Pfaue has a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common spellings of Pfaue are Pfau, Pfaus, Pfaff and Pffaf.

Pfaff is the most widely used variant spelling, normally spelled with two fs after the p. This spelling could have originated as a mistranscription of Pfaue, as a result of confusion over the eu combination, or by a dialectal use of the German term Pfaffe (priest).

Pfaus, also spelled with two fs, is a much less common variant of the original name. This variant could have arisen as a result of local dialects which often influence the way surnames are pronounced.

The single f spelling, Pfau, is another common variant and is very commonly used in Germany and Austria. This spelling could have resulted from an earlier pronunciation of the name as "Pfauh," in which case the final "h" may have been dropped off over time.

The surname Pfaff is also related to the surname Pfeffer. This relationship is based on the similarity of their prefixes; both Pfaff and Pfeffer contain the prefix Pfeff or Pfe , which was commonly used to describe someone who was related to or had a profession dealing with parchment or paper.

This surname is also related to the surnames Pfaffenbauer and Pfaffenberger. This relationship is based on the use of a common prefix, Pffaj , which is derived from an old form of the Germanic word PFELZ , meaning fortress or castle.

Another related surname is Pfab, which is derived from Pfabe, the German word for sparrow. In this case, the surname likely originated from the meaning of a small bird of the passerine family.

Finally, the surname Pfaue could have been derived from the Germanic word Pfusch, meaning refuse or trash, and those that had this surname may once have been associated with the refuse trade.

In conclusion, Pfaue has numerous variant spellings and related surnames of the same origin. There is a very real possibility that different branches of a family with the same surname spelled it differently; or connected it with different occupations, physical characteristics or even geographical locations.

Famous people with the name Pfaue

• Adrienne Pfautz
• Ulrich Pfau
• Thomas Pfau
• Thomas Pfeifer
• Robert Pfau
• Joe Pfautz
• David Pfeiffer
• Richard Pfeiffer
• Stephan Pfau
• Ruth Pfau
• Georgie Pfau
• John Pfau
• Norman Pfau
• Agnes Pfau
• Peter Pfau
• Jake Pfautz
• Sarah Pfautz
• Christopher Pfau
• Mark Pfau
• Alexander Pfau

Other surnames

PfauPfautz