Schaefer is an alternative spelling and cognate for the German word "Schäfer", meaning shepherd, which itself descends from the Old High German scāphare. Variants "Shaefer", "Schäfer", the additional alternative spelling "Schäffer", and the anglicised forms "Schaeffer", "Schaffer", "Shaffer", "Shafer", and "Schafer" are all common surnames.
