Schaaf
A German surname that most likely began as a nickname or occupational name from a word for a plane, shave, or sheaf, depending on local language and spelling.
The #6,342 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,441 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Schaaf is usually linked to German and Dutch words with the shape schaaf/schaf, but the exact root can vary by region. In German, Schaaf can point to a woodworking plane or shaving tool; in some older explanations it is also compared with a word for a sheaf of grain. Because the spelling overlaps several dialect forms, the surname may have started as an occupational nickname for a craftsman or as a descriptive byname tied to a household sign or local word.
History
The name appears in German and Dutch surname material and is found in later spellings such as Van der Schaaf in the Low Countries. In German-speaking areas it is attested in place- and name-lists from the 19th century, showing that it was already established as a hereditary surname by then. The modern US bearers probably descend from German or Dutch immigrant families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century onomastic writers noted Schaaf alongside other tool-based surnames like Hammer, Saw, and Plane, which shows how often everyday objects became family names.
From the historical record
“Schaab. Sceabb, or sccsb, a scab. Schaaf. Sceaf, pronounced skaaf, a sheaf, a bundle of corn. Schaal. Sceale, pronounced skaal, a school. Schall, of like significance.”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch