Occupational name meaning "cooper, barrel maker" in German. Another valuable tool can be the Prussia, Municipality Gazetteer, 1905 (Gemeindelexikon fr Knigreich Preussen) on Ancestry.com. More about Hofnamen can be studied here. (Hans itself is a familiar variant of Johan.). 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. Other examples include names such as: Bamberger Bielfeld Erfurt Fischbeck Oldenburg Still others described the location where the person lived. (US civil vital records, too, might have specific place names, but this is less likely.). Althann. 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. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German. Prussia was effectively abolished in 1932, and officially abolished in 1947. Prussia shaped the history of Germany, with its capital in Berlin after 1451. List of Bavarian noble families. Check these six sources for the name of your German immigrant ancestors home village. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. Names that were comprised of syllables with the . Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names. 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. Many Indians have tweeted, saying that that the . Some local groups are transcribing them, but youll need to write to the office to get records from most places. To view this content, you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. 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. 2005- 2023 eirenicon llc. You can see how Prussian families moved over time by selecting different census years. As the various provinces and duchies of German fell under the rule of different countries, the language used in records could change. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure. Abram. 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). If his wife inherited a farm, he might change his name to her maiden name. You have Prussian ancestry, but cant find Prussia on modern maps. Ill walk you through three steps to tracing your Prussian ancestors. Preuen issued an edict on 11 March 1812 that required that permanent family names be adopted within six months. Church archives themselves are digitizing records from their congregations. You might even be happy to see that detail rather than the even more generic Germanyuntil you look at the map and realize how big Prussia had become in the 19th century. Although it is not obvious today, Prussia was once one of the worlds great powers. However, an attitude adjustment will help you solve your Prussia problems. PVF was established to research and preserve the culture, genealogy and history of the Pomeranian people who came to the territory of Wisconsin and founded Freistadt in 1839. The territory was included within Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia from 1939-45. Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation. 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. The capital city was Knigsberg. Within that name held two syllables which both held distinct meanings. (All vestages of German government and control were removed following WW2. (2023, April 5). 1854. 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. The online version of MeyersGaz includes the original gazetteers detailed information on each town, then supplements it with interactive modern-day and historical map overlays. Get in touch! Or, at least, a record might identify a Provinz (province; plural is Provinzen) to narrow down the search to a particular area of Prussia. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. Your support, through donation or affiliate useage, allows ManyRoads to remain online. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland. Here are some of the US records most likely to reveal your Prussian ancestors town of origin. Minnesota had the highest population of Prussian families in 1880. Or maybe there are too many villages with the same name to pin down your ancestorslike how theres a Springfield in nearly every US state. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach (er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. Fishtail. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of German or Old English origins with the meaning 'plowed field.'. A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. This list may not reflect recent changes. German Eaglessingle head 640 years, double-headed 366 years, then single head ever since 1871. 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. 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. The Old Prussian tribes inhabited eleven regions (in the Old Prussian language, " tautos "), whose names are mentioned in writings from the 13th century: Semba, Ntanga, Nadrava, Pamede, Vrme, Brta, Skalva, Sudva, Galinda and Kulma. German names are strong and have a long history behind them. Prussian Name Meaning 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). 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. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. 24), and Schmid (No. In some areas of Germany, individuals took a second surname from the name of a farm.. It wasnt until the Middle Ages (in approximately the 12th century) that family names came into common use. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. What are the most popular Dutch surnames? About Us. Ambly des Ayvelles. Some US records may yield the gold standard of immigrant genealogy research: an exact village of origin. Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. For example, the surname Meyer means dairy farmer today, whereas, during the Middle Ages, Meyer designated people who were stewards of landholders. 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. These describe the rank or trade of the original surname recipient and are the second most common group. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Before the 1800s, the use of a surname by Jews was left to the discretion of the individual. The 10 Most Common German surnames (with English translations) Becker - baker Fischer - fisherman Hoffmann / Hofmann - courtier or steward Meier or Meyer - manorial landlord, or later, a self-employed farmer Mller - miller Schmidt - smith Schneider - tailor Schulz - sheriff (medieval) Wagner - wainwright (maker & repairer of wagons) Weber - weaver German Last Names and Their Meanings 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). (Note: Naturalization documents contain uniform information after the process was federalized in 1907, but details will vary in earlier records.). Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Seafarer. 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. 2, also appears as Schmitt (No. The endings -s or -es show possession. Here are some of my thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in northeast East Prussia (Ostpreussen) and Memel. Other record groups havent survived the regions tumultuous 20th century. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. 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. Contact. all rights reserved. Trace your ancestry in Prussia, Bavaria and more with our guide to research in Germanys historical regions, What is Prussia? Karamazov If this surname looks familiar, it's likely because of Fyodor Dostoevsk y's infamous novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Barbara, for example, can appear as Barbel, Barbele, Barbeli, Brbel, Brbelchen, Brmel, Bbi, or even Wawerl or Wetti. Notice that there is no apostrophe. )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. Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter Plus, you'll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you! in German studies. Most of them originated in mediaeval towns and villages, and as each one had its Carter, Hayward, Thatcher, Smith, and Tailor there were a multitude of original bearers of the name. Teutonic Knights and their descendants, the Baltic Germans, prospered for 700 years in north eastern Europe. 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. 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. Do not sell or share my personal information. United States (US) Wisconsin (WI) Prairie du Sac/Sumpter Twp. ManyRoads' work and material is licensed under a: There are 251 census records available for the last name Prussian. Adelebsen (German noble family) Ahlefeldt (noble family) Albertine branch. 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. First Trimester To-Do List: Take Care of Yourself. From 1772-1829 and 1878-1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. . History of German Names. 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. This is especially true for Westfalen (Westphalia) and Hannover and parts of Rheinland and Schlesien (Silesia). Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. 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. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. Occupational Names [edit | edit source]. For example, the Schleswig-Holstein Rootdigger group has more than 100,000 emigrants documented, while the website Ahnenforschung im InternetRaum Rheine has hundreds of emigrant names from the Rhineland. German given names are often derived from, If an elder child died young, the parents frequently, Some children received as many as four or more given names at baptism. And they are: During the 13th century, the Old Prussians were conquered by the Teutonic Knights, and gradually assimilated over the following centuries. This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. The list is an alphabetical overview of Bavarian nobility. Ackermann. The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. . By the 1820s, most small German states had extended civil rights to Jews and required them to adopt surnames. Acker. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. 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. They include Schneider (tailor), Fischer (fisherman) and Weber (weaver). For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? It is being seen as mocking India as the country overtakes China to become the world's most populous nation. Questions varied by census yearand didnt guarantee that the enumerator would follow the proper instructionsbut may still provide some insight: US passenger arrival lists often give birthplace (or place of last residence) data. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. 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. Why so many people consider themselves German, even though their ancestors lived in other countries, sometimes for hundreds of years. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ThoughtCo, Apr. In 1790, Baden was the first German state to require fixed surnames. But many of these families had a common denominator the eit at the end of their Surnames. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prussian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more. Some areas of Germany may use diminutive forms of names more than others. Archion.de and Matricula have growing browsable databases of Protestant and Catholic records, respectively. Where is Pomerania? Bauer, Ingrid. Dialect spellings can often give a clue to the origin of the name and even the region where an ancestor lived. When researching/reading genealogical records, this is most often the group/ nation to whom your family members are claiming an allegiance or an affiliation. Even after 1871, Germany's land area and political influence shifted several times. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. Aachen (German nobility) House of Absberg. 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. Click. Men often take on the wife's surname if moving onto her property. 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. Compulsory surname laws were enacted in the German states of Bayern and Mecklenburg in 1813 and 1814. In many cases, the first reference to Prussian ancestry that you see will be from an American record. 1938. East Prussia was the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. If Hans had a son Jens, the son was known as Jens Hansen (son of Hans). The problem was usually solved by adding descriptive information. A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father. (Kevan Hansens Map Guide to German Parish Registers series, found in many libraries that have German collections, can also give this information.). East Prussia (Ostpreuen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 to 1945. A version of this article appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Family Tree Magazine. This list is different than one showingpopular German surnameswith their English translations. 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. Saxony Trade Surnames [edit | edit source]. This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. Subjects were often reluctant to comply, so several decrees were needed. Surname Changes of German Immigrants in the United States, Surname Changes of German Immigrants in Hungary. Frisian names are used in Friesland in East and North Frisia in northwestern Germany. When you face one of these problems, your first stop should be the Meyers Gazetteer, the leading geographical dictionary of German lands published in the Second Empire period and available online. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To get a quick, pictorial view of the growth of the Nation State of Prussia (it was correctly called Knigreich Preuen- Kingdom of Prussia) what follows below is a set of maps show the nations evolution: West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773-1824 and 1878-1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish fiefdom of Royal Prussia. One such group. Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607 (accessed May 1, 2023). Alber (name) Albin (surname) Albrecht; Albrich; Alemann; Allerstorfer; Allmayer; Allram; Alms (disambiguation) Alpenheim; Alscher; Alt (surname) Alterman; Altermann; Altmaier (surname) Altmann (surname) Bauer, Ingrid. 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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. Agnesia f German (East Prussian, Rare), German (Bessarabian), Medieval Italian Latinization of Agnes and Agnese. 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.. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. The acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. However, an "attitude adjustment" will help you solve your Prussia problems. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. . Episode 02- March 2019 So you think your ancestor was Prussian.pdf. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. With this list of German last names, discover the origin of your surname and how your ancestors made it come to life. Germanized form of a Slavic or Old Prussian name formed with lub- 'love', 'dear' (see Luba ). These names include: Applebaum apple tree; Birnbaum pear tree; Buchsbaum box tree; Kestenbaum chestnut tree; Kirschenbaum cherry tree; Mandelbaum almond tree; Nussbaum nut tree;. The following 110 pages are in this category, out of 110 total. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Likewise, early German censuses were thrown away, though some remain in local government archives. Rudat German (East Prussian) Variant of Rudatis. How Continue reading My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia. The Top 100 German Surnames. Pages in category "German-language surnames" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 4,357 total. Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940. Site Search. Part of a German's first name(s) could come from. 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. The use of patronymics continued until decrees were passed that required persons to adopt permanent hereditary family names. 100% of Prussian men worked as a Laborer. 100 Russian Last Names 1. How Continue reading . In many areas of Germany there is a widespread use of "Hofnamen" or "farm names" used. Between 1972 and 2002, in the United States, Prussian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1991. Preu (Preuss) Sachse Others were based on place names: Hans from Nrnberg might be called Hans Nrnberger. Some given names are often very different when translated into different languages, as shown by the following table. 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. This gazetteer can be helpful in determining which Catholic and Protestant parishes a village belonged toinformation not found in the Meyers Gazetteer. 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. 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. Listen to this articles Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . The last name could, for example, also be what you would call a farm name. Because German genealogical records were kept in various languages, you may find your ancestor's name in different languages at different times. Ancestry.com has a collection of these records: Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 18741945.. Prussia/Preuen was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg.