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Where did the German Schenkel family come from? What is the German Schenkel family crest and coat of arms? When did the Schenkel family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Schenkel family history?The Schenkel family originated in Bavaria, Germany. As hereditary surnames were adopted in that area beginning in the 12th century, people were often identified by the kind of work they did. Schenkel is an occupational name for a cup bearer or server of wine. The name stems from the Old German word "scenko," which means "cup."
Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Schenkel include Schenkel, Schenkell, Schenckel, Schaenkel, Schaenkell, Schanckel, Schankel, Schankell, Shankel, Shankell and many more.
First found in Bavaria, where this distinguished family established itself.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Schenkel research. Another 142 words(10 lines of text) covering the years 1771, 1786, 1813, 1845, and 1885 are included under the topic Early Schenkel History in all our PDF Extended History products.
Another 41 words(3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Schenkel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.
Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Schenkel or a variant listed above:
Schenkel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Schenkel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Schenkel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
The Schenkel Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Schenkel Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
This page was last modified on 26 July 2011 at 16:08.