What is the origin of the Austrian family name Schikelgruber?

Question

And are there any Schikelgrubers extant?

Answer 1

Schickel is a type of small potato.  Gruber is one who digs.  Presumably Hitler had some ancestor who was a farmer known for growing potatoes.  Had Alois not changed his name, it seems extremely unlikely Germans would have run around screaming, with a straight face, "Heil Schickelgruber!"

Answer 2

I'm sure you are aware Schikelgruber was Adolf Hitler's original family name, I cannot find it's origin.

Alois Hitler, Adolf Hitler's father, was born named Alois Heiler, and prior to the last name Heiler being used, Hitler's grandfather's last name was Schikelgruber.

The background to Hitler's family is here :

http://schikelgruber.net/birth.html