SCHILD
Schild is a surname of German origin. The word derives from the Middle High German term schild, meaning “shield”. It is an occupational name, originally given to individuals who made or used shields, or to those regarded as strong or protective in the manner of a shield.
The earliest known record of the name appears in Germany in 1294, where it was written as Johannes dem Schilt, a citizen of Hanover. In subsequent centuries the surname evolved into a number of spellings, including Schildt, Schilde, Schilds, Schildau, Schildbach, Schildberger, Schilder, Schildhelm and others.
In addition to shield‑makers, the name was also associated with sign makers and painters. In Germanic usage the term schilde referred to a sign or shield. Consequently, certain variants such as Schilder and Schildman specifically denote artisans who produced and maintained signs for businesses.
The Schild surname remains common throughout German‑speaking regions. In Germany it is particularly frequent in Lower Saxony, Saxony‑Anhalt, Brandenburg, Berlin, Thuringia and several major cities. It is also widely found in Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. In North America the name is less common, but it can be found in communities in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and California, generally brought by immigrants during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also present, though less frequently, in South America, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world where European immigration has occurred.
The name has a broad array of spellings in different languages. In English it has been rendered as Shield, Sheild, Sheilds, Sheilder, Shielder and occasionally Shildkrantz in Ashkenazi Jewish contexts. In Dutch it appears as Schilder, Schilderman, Schilders. Scandinavian variants include Schulld and Scheld. All these forms share the same origin and meaning and indicate the historical importance of the shield as a protective object in medieval Europe.
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Schild in...
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There are approximately 68 people named Schild in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Schild.
