The Pfaffmann Family Name

Pfaffmann is best understood together with Pfaff: both are German spellings of one family name. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “priest”. Pfaffmann adds -mann to the root of Pfaff, a familiar way of forming related surnames. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.

Related forms: Pfaffe.

There is no single Pfaffmann family crest for every bearer. Herald Lab researches the arms historically associated with the name and explains whose they were. Want more than a summary? See the Pfaffmann family name pack.