What is "trefzger"

Trefzger is a German surname that belongs to that category of surnames which originated as nicknames and were later assumed as hereditary surnames. The origin of this nickname is thought to lie in the Middle High German term "trefs", referring to a bramble, or similar type of plant. One possible origin takes into account that the particular plant that "trefs" referred to was nearly impossible to kill, therefore, in the context of a person, a "trefs" would be someone who was very hardy and lived a long life.