Schäfer

Schäfer is a German surname that means "shepherd." It originated as an occupational name for someone who tended flocks in the German-speaking realms, with roots traceable to the medieval period.

Variants of the name include Schäfer, Schafer, Shafer, Schaefer, Shaffer, and Schäffer. The form without the umlaut is common in Anglophone countries. The standard German pronunciation is roughly [ˈʃɛː.fɐ], often anglicized as “SHAY-fer.”

Geographic distribution of the surname is strongest in Germany, with substantial presence in Austria and Switzerland. It has also spread to North America, Australia, and other regions through migration. In genealogical sources, diacritics are sometimes dropped, yielding spellings such as Shafer or Schaefer.

In addition to its use as a surname, Schäfer is the ordinary German noun for the occupation "shepherd" and appears in related terms such as Schäferhund, the German Shepherd dog. The name, like many occupational surnames, remains common in German-speaking areas and among descendants of German emigrants worldwide.