Schram
A nickname surname likely referring to a scar, mark, or scratch on a person’s face or body.
The #7,205 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,626 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Schram is most likely from a Germanic word for a scratch, scar, or scrape. The historical source provided favors the sense of "scar" or "wound-mark" rather than the unrelated sense of a pig-name found in some dialects. In this reading, it began as a nickname for someone known by a noticeable scar or similar mark, especially on the face.
History
The name is attested in Dutch discussion as a surname already established enough to invite etymological speculation in the 19th century. Because the form is short and descriptive, it likely arose independently in more than one Germanic-speaking area. It is found today in Dutch, German, and North American records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century writer explicitly rejected deriving the surname from the word for a pig and instead argued for the meaning "scar."
From the historical record
“wie zoude ook vrywillig » zwijn" of ■» varken" willen heeten? »Aap" is al slim genoeg ! Dus betwyfel ik ook of de geslachtsnaam Schram wel te dezer plaatse moet vermeld worden, al is het woord schram , ook bloedschram , in sommige gouspraken , o. a. in de hollandsche te Haarlem , in gebruik om zeker soort van…”
— De Nederlandsche geslachtsnamen in oorsprong, geschiedenis en beteekenis