Surname Schadendorff - Meaning and Origin

Schadendorff: What does the surname Schadendorff mean?

The surname Schadendorff is of German origin, and is derived from the Germanic personal name ‘Schad’. This name is believed to originate from the term ‘sâda’, which is an Old High German word that means ‘happening’ or ‘occurrence’.

The name is thought to have been used by a Germanic tribe of barbarian people known as the Alemanni, who lived in an area of present-day Germany that was known as Alamannia. The Alemanni were a collection of Germanic tribes who once inhabited central Europe, and who spoke an East Germanic language.

The addition of ‘-dorff’ to the name Schad most likely indicates a place of origin. The term ‘-dorff’ is an Old Germanic suffix indicating a settlement, village, or farm associated with a family. As such, it is safe to assume that the surname Schadendorff is most likely associated with a specific geographic location, and its history and meaning may be traced back to this settlement.

Given its German origin, the name Schadendorff is taken to mean “dweller at the Schad”, a place of origin associated with a family and their Alemanni descendants. Today, the surname is a popular one in Germany, although there are some variations such as ‘Schadenford’. It is also seen in other German diaspora communities across Europe, North America, and Australia.

Schadendorff: Where does the name Schadendorff come from?

The last name Schadendorff is a relatively uncommon surname which today is mainly concentrated in Germany. According to The House of Names, an online genealogy resource, Schadendorff is a hadname that originated in the German region of Saxony, in the eastern part of the country. It likely has Germanic origins and is derived from the Old German personal name Scado, which means "great warrior".

In modern times, the last name Schadendorff is most prevalent in Germany, as evidenced by its location as number 59,135 in the German national population register. It is also relatively common in the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin, and Lower Saxony.

In the United State, current census data from 2018 shows that individuals bearing the Schadendorff surname are very few and far between. The majority of those living in the US with this last name are of German descent and likely descend from immigrants who arrived at various times over the course of the past few centuries.

Outside the US and Germany, Schadendorff can also be found in limited numbers in countries such as Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Those living in these countries with the Schadendorff surname are likely to have ancestral ties to either Germany or the countries where the family may have relocated.

Overall, the Schadendorff surname is not overly common throughout the world, but the people who bear it are part of a long line of individuals of German descent.

Variations of the surname Schadendorff

The most common spellings of the surname Schadendorff are Schuetendörff, Schüttendörff and Schütendörff. Due to the variations in spelling, the surname can also be found with a variety of variants and surnames of the same origin. Variants of Schadendorff include Schadendorf, Schaedendorf, Schaedendorff, Schadandorff, Schadandorff, Schadendorp, Schutendorp, Schutendorf, Schutendorder and Shatendorder. Each of these variants can be found among the family names of various people who are originally from Germany.

Surnames of the same origin include Schaffendorff, Schädendorff, Schaftendorff, Schadeendorf, Schaderdorf and Schadersdorf. All of these surnames are related to the surname Schadendorff either through sharing a common root or due to the variations of spelling that can occur in different areas and countries.

Some further variations of the surname include Schaidenorf, Schädlaender, Schadenrift, Scheidenore, Scheidenorf, Schiedenaff, Schoedenaff and Schütendörffer. These are more rarely used spellings and variants of the surname Schadendorff, but they do exist in relation to families who share its origin.

Finally, other variant spellings of the surname can be found in different countries of the world, including Schadendorf in Austria, Schadendorff in Serbia, and Schad accelerating in Poland.

Famous people with the name Schadendorff

• August Schadendorff: Imperial German Army and Navy Officer
• William Schadendorff: 19th century Prussian statesman and lawyer
• Alex Schadendorff: South African former rugby union player
• Luise Schadendorff: German writer
• Paul Schadendorff: German-born Russian philosopher and journalist
• Benedict Schadendorff: 19th century Austrian author
• Paul Schadendorff: Gynecologist
• Emmy Schadendorff: Weimar-era German actress
• Karl Schadendorff: German Impressionist painter
• Rudolf Schadendorff: Prussian general in World War I
• Simon Schadendorff: German actor
• Wilhelm Schadendorff: German author, musician, and artist
• Otto Schadendorff: German general in World War I

Other surnames

Schadendorf