Why so many people consider themselves German, even though their ancestors lived in other countries, sometimes for hundreds of years. German Names from 1495, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael About a hundred masculine and feminine given names collected from an Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names. https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607 (accessed May 1, 2023). Rabideau Henss Family Histories & Genealogy. https://script.byu.edu/Pages/the-french-documents-pages/the-french-documents(english), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_name, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Germany_Personal_Names&oldid=5187196, Surnames of wives and mothers often end with, Another form, indicating a female bearer of a surname, was the addition of a genitive, Most of the time the surname spelling changed to accommodate the, Within the German community, such as the local parish, immigrants may continue to use the proper German name, while at the same time. (Kevan Hansens Map Guide to German Parish Registers series, found in many libraries that have German collections, can also give this information.). These names include: Applebaum apple tree; Birnbaum pear tree; Buchsbaum box tree; Kestenbaum chestnut tree; Kirschenbaum cherry tree; Mandelbaum almond tree; Nussbaum nut tree;. German immigrants may have been grouped together as the overly broad term Prussians. The misleading label may believe their actual identities: Pomeranians, Rhinelanders, Hanoverians and more. Patronymic names changed with each generation. Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. Perhaps the name is misspelled in a record or has multiple names. Another valuable tool can be the Prussia, Municipality Gazetteer, 1905 (Gemeindelexikon fr Knigreich Preussen) on Ancestry.com. Compulsory surname laws were enacted in the German states of Bayern and Mecklenburg in 1813 and 1814. "Old French Records", at "BYU Script Tutorial", Last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. Germans may also use "-el" as a diminutive ending. Minert has published more than 20 volumes to date, each with an abstract showing origins written in the more commonly used church registers (baptisms, marriages and burials) but also harder-to-find record groups such as membership lists. View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prussian. Fortunately, many US censuses inquired about the respondents place of birth, making them a possible source for your ancestors Prussian origins. Ambly des Ayvelles. Get unlimited access to premium articles. For the veterans among your Prussian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. Many of these professions no longer exist but survive in naming traditions. Prussia was effectively abolished in 1932, and officially abolished in 1947. This List of Bavarian noble families contains all 338 Bavarian aristocratic families named in 1605 by Siebmacher as well as further additions. Perhaps, the following explanations and links will help clarify the matter.To begin with you need to be aware that there are, at least, four major categories or groups of people with clear and justifiable claims to being Prussian. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. In 1790, Baden was the first German state to require fixed surnames. Sometimes surname spelling variations are based on dialect (a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group) differences. Today we are celebrating our mermaid community during MerMay with the release of the following mermaid-themed names, only available for a limited time: Mermaid. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . Pages in category "German-language surnames" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 4,357 total. Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter Plus, you'll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you! Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Aalbers Abela Abele Abeles Abrahamsen Achen Achter Achter Achterberg Acker Ackerman Addicks Adriance Akerman Akkerman Al Alberda Albers Alderink Alders Ale Alers Alkema Alles Alper Alsteen Ameling Amerman Amster Andries John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg. This gazetteer can be helpful in determining which Catholic and Protestant parishes a village belonged toinformation not found in the Meyers Gazetteer. Sebastian = Bastian Christophel = Stophel Christina = Stin or Stina Katharina = Trin Note that these familiar forms are used in church or other records, even though by today's standards we might expect formal names to be used. In many cases, the first reference to Prussian ancestry that you see will be from an American record. Standesamt I in Berlin holds duplicate copies of civil registries in eastern Prussian territories now in Poland or Russia. Before the 1800s, the use of a surname by Jews was left to the discretion of the individual. Because many of the Prussian areas were either destroyed (nearly completely) in the allied bombardments and assaults of WW2 and most Prussian areas were ethnically cleansed of 99+% of all native German speakers between 1945 and 1950, even tiny clues are most important. This page has been viewed 166,064 times (14,599 via redirect). Schmidt is the most common surname in the central German-speaking and eastern low German-speaking areas. What are the most popular Dutch surnames? In February 1920, Germany (after it had been defeated in 1918) handed over West Prussias central parts to become the so-called Polish Corridor and the Free City of Danzig, while the parts remaining with the German Weimar Republic became the new Posen-West Prussia or were joined to the Province of East Prussia as Regierungsbezirk West Prussia. Dukes of Prussia Junker (Prussia) A Althann Ambly des Ayvelles Johann Wilhelm von Archenholz Arco family Arnim family Arz von Wasegg Hans Adolf Erdmann von Auerswald Rudolf von Auerswald B Ballestrem Barnekow family Beissel von Gymnich Bentheim (noble family) Cornelius von Berenberg-Gossler Heinrich von Berenberg-Gossler Multiple given names were often the names of, Germans occasionally use "-chen" and "-lein" as diminutive endings meaning little. Gretchen could be translated little Greta (Margret). Extra care needs to be taken to make sure that the correct people are included in the family group and that no one is accidentally overlooked. Alternative Spellings & Variations: Anya, Anna, Anne, Aine, Anje, Ania Famous Namesakes: German mountaineer Anja Blacha, Danish charity worker Anja Ringgren Lovn Peak Popularity: While the German spelling of Anja has never ranked in the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S., the name Anya has risen in popularity since the 1980s, peaking in 2009. There are 51 immigration records available for the last name Prussian. Adelebsen (German noble family) Ahlefeldt (noble family) Albertine branch. Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940. Some local groups are transcribing them, but youll need to write to the office to get records from most places. If you are researching ancestors (family) in the US, it is unlikely that your family records are referring to this relationship or ethnic group membership. During the early 20th Century, especially the World War I era, surname changes are recorded more frequently, as immigrants or, more often, their children, tried to adopt more neutral surnames. Even after 1871, Germany's land area and political influence shifted several times. German names are strong and have a long history behind them. )Once again excerpting from Wikipedia: The truth is you really need to know to which of these four groups your family belongs or area(s) from which they came, if you are to have any success in finding their evidence/ records. Though its home page is in German, the site has an English-language interface called Genealogy.net. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. The most common German surname is Mller (which translates as Miller). The average life expectancy for Prussian in 1972 was 71, and 82 in 2002. In Germany, these occupational names still form the largest group of German surnames. The former German state of Prussia took its name from the Baltic Prussians, although it was led by Germans who had assimilated the Old Prussians; the old Prussian language was extinct by the 17th or early 18th century.The land of the Old Prussians consisted approximately of central and southern East Prussia the present-day Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of Poland, the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia and the southern Region of Lithuania. A small collection of women's given names from Arnsburg, in Hessen. The list was initially created by searching for the most common last names in German telephone books. Find your Dutch last name and learn about name meanings and origins in the Netherlands. You can find large collections of ethnic German-American congregational registers on the free FamilySearch as well as major subscription sites Ancestry.com and MyHeritage. It is worth noting that in US Census records this term rarely appears after 1871, the year of the creation of the Second Reich- Germany. While every record of an immigrant, spouse and children has some potential for a specific village name, church records are far and away the most likely to include such information. This is closely followed by Schmidt (which is associated with the blacksmiths trade and can also be recognized in variations such as Schmitt or Schmitz). Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John. Seafarer. Given that Prussia (the country) covered as much as ~135,000 square miles with a population of nearly 40 million people; names and dates are not enough to go on for a successful genealogical search. It wasnt until the Middle Ages (in approximately the 12th century) that family names came into common use. "The Top 100 German Surnames." A couple who have identical first and middle names chose to have different surnames when they got married to avoid confusion. German inflation had "peaked" however, he added, predicting it would slow from 5.9 per cent this year to 2.7 per cent next year. Episode 02- March 2019 So you think your ancestor was Prussian.pdf. Prussia/Preuen was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. These were then passed down through each generation. Home. Most military records, for example, were unfortunately destroyed in WWII bombing (though documents from independent Hanover have survived). Some US records may yield the gold standard of immigrant genealogy research: an exact village of origin. Prussian civil registration dates to 1874 in most places, and (for the most part) are kept in the civil registry office (Standesamt) where the event occurred. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German. A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. (US civil vital records, too, might have specific place names, but this is less likely.). Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total. Find a Grave has become the leading site showing memorial information, but there are still many offline sources such as marker transcripts in county historical and genealogical libraries. German Names from Rottweil, Baden-Wrttemberg, 1441, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Names of 1350 men and women, with a partial list of surnames. If doing ancestry searches, you should be aware that in some areas of Germany, such as Westfalen, Hannover, Lippe-Detmold, Oldenburg and Schlesien, there are exceptions to the rule which make research more complicated. German last names originate from places and professions inGermany and far beyond, as a list of 100 of the most common German surnames shows. This is taken from the Hebrew name 'hevel' meaning 'breath,' 'vanity' or 'vapor.'. Some of the children born to the couple may have used his surname, while others in the same family used the wife's family name. 4. Teutonic Knights and their descendants, the Baltic Germans, prospered for 700 years in north eastern Europe. Count of Family Names in the 1776 Census Count of Family Names in the 1776 Census Compiled by Glenn Penner (gpenner@uoguelph.ca) The following table is a count of how many times each family name, or variation of that name, appears in the 1776 census of Mennonites in West Prussia. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian. Jews in Germany followed the custom of using only a given name and the name of the father, such as Isaac, son of Abraham (Isaac ben Abraham). For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. Ackermann. This guide goes through the best Prussian genealogy records that may help you pinpoint your ancestors origins. If Hans had a son Jens, the son was known as Jens Hansen (son of Hans). Rudat German (East Prussian) Variant of Rudatis. Some German families used the following pattern for naming children, mostly in areas close to the Netherlands, because this pattern was really a Dutch, not German, custom: Gender and grammar can affect German name endings. In the table, the German name is listed on the left, with its origin (and explanation if needed) on the right. For People Proud of their German Heritage, Interesting German historical and cultural facts, Here are some of my thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in northeast East Prussia (Ostpreussen) and Memel. Contact. Apply this search to the main name collection, the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name, search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes, this field understands simple boolean logic, force a term to be included by preceding it with a, force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a, sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations, syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations, names without pronunciations are excluded from results. Merrow. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. Agnesia f German (East Prussian, Rare), German (Bessarabian), Medieval Italian Latinization of Agnes and Agnese. For most, naturalization was a two-step process that required a declaration of intent followed by a petition for naturalization. For example, Hans Petersen was a son of a man named Peter. Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). The capital city was Knigsberg. ThoughtCo. It is being seen as mocking India as the country overtakes China to become the world's most populous nation. For example, your great-grandfather's name could be in Latin on his birth record, in French on his marriage record, and in German on his death record. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, Franceand Spain. Do not sell or share my personal information. For example, Hansel and Gretel for Johan and Margret. To give just two examples: Even once you have a town name, you might not be able to simply type it into Google and locate it on a modern map of Germany. Life in the Past Lane Podcast! Althann. In some areas of Germany, individuals took a second surname from the name of a farm.. in German studies. Your support, through donation or affiliate useage, allows ManyRoads to remain online. German Last Names and Their English Meanings, The Meaning and Origin of Famous German Names, Everything you need to Know About German Names, The History of Popular German Last Names (Nachnamen), A German-English Glossary of Popular German Abbreviations, Learn How to Say the Days of the Week in German, Learn the German Lyrics to Two Hit Songs by Die Prinzen, German for Beginners: Occupations (Beruf), How The Nursery Rhyme 'Eins, Zwei, Polizei' Can Help You Learn German, Translations of 3 of Rammstein's Top Hits, Conjugations of the Most-Used German Verbs. However, an "attitude adjustment" will help you solve your Prussia problems. In addition to the individual volumes, which you can find in libraries that have substantial German genealogy collections, Minert has created a set of consolidated indexes to the first 14 volumes, which you can find in libraries with large German collections. Tip: If you are researching this area and are examining a time frame earlier than 1947, you should focus on German place names and social conventions in order to maximize your success. It contains information about name variants, ancestry, extent and well-known personalities of the line. Between 1972 and 2002, in the United States, Prussian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1991. This is not a list of equivalent names, but rather a sampling of English translations or meanings of German names.In many cases, there may be several possible origins or translations for a surname. Bauer, Ingrid. Specifically for Prussian areas that are now in Poland, Kartenmeister gives loads of information about the villages east of the Oder and Niesse rivers (the current boundary between Germany and Poland). For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised and effective army. For example, the surname Meyer means dairy farmer today, whereas, during the Middle Ages, Meyer designated people who were stewards of landholders. You also wont want to miss the Germany-based supersite CompGen, which hosts research-aid primers for all of the former Prussian provinces, a historic gazetteer (GOV), and links to many regional groups. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. Germany (GER) Understanding Prussian History, 6 Ways to Find Your German Ancestors Place of Origin, Researching Genealogy in Historical German States, Best UK, Irish and Commonwealth Genealogy Websites, Family Tree Templates and Relationship Charts, How to Find Your Ancestors US Military Records, Preserving Old Photos of Your Family History, Surnames: Family Search Tips and Surname Origins, Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America, hosts research-aid primers for all of the former Prussian provinces, a historic gazetteer (GOV), and links to many regional groups, Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 18741945.. 24), and Schmid (No. Preu (Preuss) Sachse Others were based on place names: Hans from Nrnberg might be called Hans Nrnberger. One such group. Along with the rest of the Kingdom of Prussia, East Prussia became part of . Abram. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Arick Prussian Dallmann Prussian Prussian Fuge Prussian Hittenrauch Prussian from the prussian word von hittenraoucht meaning "of royalty" Langwer Prussian Lemke Prussian Prussian Pommerania Lubbe German, Slavic, Prussian Variant of Lubben. It was ethnically cleansed of Germans by Poland, the Soviet Union and the allies after World War 2. Other examples include names such as: Bamberger Bielfeld Erfurt Fischbeck Oldenburg Still others described the location where the person lived. Fishtail. The profile for each town name includes both German- and Polish-language place names, as well as what districts and parishes the villages belonged to. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. The acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. This list is different than one showingpopular German surnameswith their English translations. Site Search. The most Prussian families were found in USA in 1920. The former German state of Prussia took its name from the Baltic Prussians, although it was led by Germans who had assimilated the Old Prussians; the old Prussian language was extinct by the 17th or early 18th century.The land of the Old Prussians consisted approximately of central and southern East Prussia - the present-day Warmian-Masurian Der Spiegel is a weekly news magazine. List of Bavarian noble families. A team led by German genealogy scholar Roger P. Minert continues to compile the valuable book series German Immigrants in American Church Records (Family Roots Publishing). The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. This topic comes up frequently and seems to cause a lot of confusion, especially here in the US. The use of patronymic names was prevalent in the Schleswig-Holstein and Ostfriesland areas in northern Germany. My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia, When the ravens cease to fly around the mountain he will awake and restore Germany to its ancient greatness. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If a German moved onto someone else's farm estate (or Hof), it was not uncommon to change his last name to that of the farm. How Continue reading My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia. Several books are available that list variant forms of given names. Check these six sources for the name of your German immigrant ancestors home village. . Hans dictus Krier (Hans who is called a soldier.). Men often take on the wife's surname if moving onto her property. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations. Christopher I, Burgrave and Count of Dohna-Schlodien, Countess Katharina Dorothea Finck von Finckenstein, Friedrich Heinrich Ferdinand Leopold von Forcade de Biaix, Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Ernst Heinrich von Forcade de Biaix, Friedrich Wilhelm Quirin von Forcade de Biaix, Friedrich Wilhelm Leopold Konstantin Quirin Freiherr von Forcade de Biaix, Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske, Friedrich Albrecht Karl Herrmann, Reichsgraf von Wylich und Lottum, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Prussian_nobility&oldid=1107202751, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 101200 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 August 2022, at 18:51. The third most popular last name is Meier (which derives from a term for a high-ranking farmer) and is very common in the low Geman-speaking areas. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation. Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. Where is Pomerania? Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. As the various provinces and duchies of German fell under the rule of different countries, the language used in records could change. In addition to church records, tombstones (often more detailed in earlier eras than they are today) will sometimes have villages of origin carved on them. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. German immigrants may have been grouped together as the overly broad term "Prussians." The misleading label may believe their actual identities: Pomeranians, Rhinelanders, Hanoverians and more. Many things are said to be a state of mind. For genealogists seeking 19th- and early 20th-century ancestry in what was then the largest German Empire state of Prussia, Prussian is a kind of a state of mind. Gender and grammar can affect German surname endings. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Most Jews did not adopt hereditary family names until required to do so by law. Once youve found your ancestral town of origin and located it on a map, you can consult a few different resources for Prussian records. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . 2. If major changes occur in the naming patterns or form used, that could indicate a ministerial change, perhaps one coming from another area. Karamazov If this surname looks familiar, it's likely because of Fyodor Dostoevsk y's infamous novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. At first surnames applied only to one person, not to the whole family. Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. all rights reserved. In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Prussian. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. The historical state, political entity, of Prussia (English)/ Preuen (German)- see the blue map on the right.Again quoting from Wikipedia: East Prussia (English)/ Ostpreuen (German), was a political subdivision/ province in the nation-states of Prussia and Germany. German Eaglessingle head 640 years, double-headed 366 years, then single head ever since 1871. This was 100% of all the recorded Prussian's in USA. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland. Naturalization documents are especially important if your ancestor became a citizen (which you can determine by examining federal censuses). Both contain valuable information about origins; make sure you look for both document types. Use of the ending may result in vowel changes, such as "Hnschen", which is "little Hans". Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prussian surname lived. Apply this search to the main name collection, the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name, search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes, this field understands simple boolean logic, force a term to be included by preceding it with a, force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a, sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations, syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations, names without pronunciations are excluded from results. Listen to this articles The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. Frisian names are used in Friesland in East and North Frisia in northwestern Germany. Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc. When names first came about in German history, people tended to only have one name.
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