Shafer
A surname with several close origins, most often a German spelling of Shaffer or Schaefer, meaning “shepherd” or one associated with sheep.
The #1,379 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,041 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shafer is usually a simplified spelling of German Schaefer or Schäfer, from the German word for a shepherd or sheep herder. In English-speaking countries it was often adjusted to match pronunciation, and in some cases it may also reflect the related surname Shaffer. The name therefore points most commonly to an occupation connected with tending sheep.
History
The surname is especially common in German-American communities, where spellings were frequently simplified after immigration. In the United States, Shafer and related forms such as Schaefer, Schafer, and Shaffer often became mixed or interchangeable in records. Because of that, a single family line may show more than one spelling over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because of spelling changes in immigration and census records, Shafer families are sometimes linked to several different modern spellings in the same paper trail.