Surname Schweicher - Meaning and Origin
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Schweicher: What does the surname Schweicher mean?
The last name Schweicher is of German origin, and it is derived from the German word “Schweiger”, which means “one who is quiet” or “silent”. The name likely refers to an ancestor or progenitor of the family who was especially quiet or introspective. The name also likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked in a profession that required light conversation or discretion.
In addition to its use as a German surname, the name is also found in pockets of communities in Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Records dating back to the 14th century have been found for Swiss families bearing the name Schweicher, indicating that the name has been around for quite some time.
Over the centuries, the name Schweicher has been spelled many different ways, with some of the spelling variants including Swigger, Schwichter, Schuycker, and Schweiker. This is evidence that the name has had a long and varied history, which can be seen by looking at the numerous spellings used to represent it.
The surname carries a sense of mystery and quietness, and while having a past that is shrouded with unanswered questions, the name has remained constant for centuries and remains a strong family name to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisSchweicher: Where does the name Schweicher come from?
The surname Schweicher is most commonly found in Germany. The majority of people with this surname live in the Bavarian region, which includes several states such as Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Baden-Wurttemberg. Other countries with sizeable population of Schweichers include the United States, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, and France.
In Germany, this surname is found more prominently in the cities of Munich and Nuremberg. The German language origination of the surname is Schweiger, which translates to someone who is ‘silent’. Owing to its German origin, the name Schweicher can be found mostly in regions with a high number of German immigrants, like the United States, Canada, and Brazil.
In the United States, according to the 2019 census, the surname Schweicher is found in several states, particularly Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, New York, California, and Ohio. This is primarily because of the waves of German immigrants who moved to the United States from the 1800s to the early 20th century.
Schweichers can also be found in countries with long-standing German communities, such as Switzerland, Austria, and France. In France, the name is mostly found in the Grand Est region and Alsace which borders Germany.
The number of people with this last name outside of Germany continues to rise, however the country with the highest concentration of people with this surname remains Germany.
Variations of the surname Schweicher
The surname Schweicher is an old German name which has many different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is typically of Jewish origin, but is not exclusively so. The most common variants are: Schwicher, Schwichter, Schwiecher, Schwiechter, Schweiger, Schwiger, Schweeger and Schweigert. There are also variations of these spellings, such as Schwichterer, Schweigerer and Schwicherer.
The original spelling, Schweicher, comes from the German word for 'whisper', schweichen. It suggests a person who was quiet and perhaps even secretive. The surnames Schwicher and Schwiecher are further variations on this meaning.
The Jewish variants of these names are also widely used, such as Schwiechten, Schwiettp, and Schwijer. This reflects the typical Jewish practice of replacing certain phonemes in names, especially U and W, with different letters that make it easier to pronounce them in Hebrew.
Finally, there are various surnames with similar sounds but different origins that could be confused with Schweicher, such as Swichter and Siwchter.
In summary, the surname Schweicher has many different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is typically of German and Jewish origin, but there are also variations of these names and other surnames that may sound similar but are not actually related.
Famous people with the name Schweicher
- Mordecai Schweicher: an Australian actor best known for his role in the musical movie West Side Story.
- Werner Schweicher: award-winning German film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for the television series and films he directed including Tatort, Out of the Martini, and Fabian.
- Christian Schweicher: German politician, member of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), and former member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
- Max Schweicher: German engineer and businessman who worked on the early submarine cameras in WWII.
- Barbara Schweicher: South African open water swimmer who competed internationally and was a former African record holder for open water swimming.
- Heidi Schweicher: Austrian alpine skier who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
- Anita Schweicher: American singer and songwriter who is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.
- Wolfgang Schweicher: former chief executive of credit card issuer American Express and has been a consultant with executive search firm First Round Group.
- Jessica Schweicher: American synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2015 Pan American Games.
- Paulina Schweicher: Colombian-American swimmer, three-time world champion, and two-time Olympic medalist.