The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. With this list of German last names, discover the origin of your surname and how your ancestors made it come to life. But for the many Prussians who left via the port of Hamburg, embarkation lists show even more detailed information. You can see how Prussian families moved over time by selecting different census years. This is especially true for Westfalen (Westphalia) and Hannover and parts of Rheinland and Schlesien (Silesia). Prussian genealogy research isnt always easy. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. Althann. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. Prussia/Preuen was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . 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 These describe the rank or trade of the original surname recipient and are the second most common group. Surnames may also have been translated outright into English, sometimes with a slight twist. 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. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. In November 1918, the monarchies were abolished and the nobility lost its political power. 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). ManyRoads' work and material is licensed under a: Acker. In 1880 there was 1 Prussian family living in Minnesota. 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. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised and effective army. Most Jews did not adopt hereditary family names until required to do so by law. Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc. 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. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland. Dive into this disappearing state with this overview of Prussian history. Occupational Names [edit | edit source]. Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. 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 average life expectancy for Prussian in 1972 was 71, and 82 in 2002. ThoughtCo. Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. If his wife inherited a farm, he might change his name to her maiden name. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of German or Old English origins with the meaning 'plowed field.'. )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. The following online source contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English: Many given names have variants and dialectical forms. 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. This is a patronymic name derived from the reduced form of the name 'Abraham' that means 'father of a multitude.'. 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. Some US records may yield the gold standard of immigrant genealogy research: an exact village of origin. This gazetteer can be helpful in determining which Catholic and Protestant parishes a village belonged toinformation not found in the Meyers Gazetteer. 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 Braband German. 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. More about Hofnamen can be studied here. Use of the ending may result in vowel changes, such as "Hnschen", which is "little Hans". Some given names are often very different when translated into different languages, as shown by the following table. However, an "attitude adjustment" will help you solve your Prussia problems. You have Prussian ancestry, but cant find Prussia on modern maps. For the veterans among your Prussian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Terms such as modo, vulgo, genannt, and alias indicate this naming practice. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. . Saxony . 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. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . Along with the rest of the Kingdom of Prussia, East Prussia became part of . 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. Some of these collections are also on Ancestry.com and MyHeritage, since the two companies helped fund some of FamilySearchs digitization projects. The use of patronymic names was prevalent in the Schleswig-Holstein and Ostfriesland areas in northern Germany. *We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs. The Top 100 German Surnames. The territory was included within Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia from 1939-45. Teutonic Knights and their descendants, the Baltic Germans, prospered for 700 years in north eastern Europe. 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. Several books are available that list variant forms of given names. Both contain valuable information about origins; make sure you look for both document types. Aachen (German nobility) House of Absberg. The following is a screenshot of the full list of current last names available: We will continue to make additional updates to the available last name pool . For example, Hans Petersen was a son of a man named Peter. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland. 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. This page has been viewed 166,064 times (14,599 via redirect). 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. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Two related pieces of information can come to your rescue. Bauer, Ingrid. 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. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. Contact. For example, one branch of the Schwarzenbach(er) family adopted the surname Blackcreek, later Blackrick. As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. 2. It wasnt until the Middle Ages (in approximately the 12th century) that family names came into common use. For example: In most of Germany, the practice of using surnames was well established by the. 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. Agnet f German (East Prussian), North Frisian (Archaic), East Frisian (Archaic) East Prussian German, North Frisian and East Frisian variant of Agnes via the variant Agnete. ThoughtCo, Apr. Some records preface names with occupations, and the occupation may erroneously be indexed as a given name. Likewise, early German censuses were thrown away, though some remain in local government archives. Prior to 1900, formal surname changes documented in local court records are relatively rare. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. Though its home page is in German, the site has an English-language interface called Genealogy.net. FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Other record groups havent survived the regions tumultuous 20th century. Understanding customs used in German names can help you identify your ancestors in records. 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. The list was initially created by searching for the most common last names in German telephone books. do not look for your family to be German before 1871; there was no Germany before 1871! As the various provinces and duchies of German fell under the rule of different countries, the language used in records could change. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? Some local groups are transcribing them, but youll need to write to the office to get records from most places. For most, naturalization was a two-step process that required a declaration of intent followed by a petition for naturalization. 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. This guide goes through the best Prussian genealogy records that may help you pinpoint your ancestors origins. 26). It was ethnically cleansed of Germans by Poland, the Soviet Union and the allies after World War 2. 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 Barbara, for example, can appear as Barbel, Barbele, Barbeli, Brbel, Brbelchen, Brmel, Bbi, or even Wawerl or Wetti. What does it mean when a record(s) says that your family member was Prussian? (For more see Wikipedia). 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. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. If you are researching ancestors (family) it is possible that your family records are referring to this area. The Prussian family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. What are the most popular Dutch surnames? Many of these professions no longer exist but survive in naming traditions. This is taken from the Hebrew name 'hevel' meaning 'breath,' 'vanity' or 'vapor.'. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John. 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). 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. 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. Seafarer. At first surnames applied only to one person, not to the whole family. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach (er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. 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. You can also find geographic-specific databases of emigrants relating to Prussian areas. And they are: During the 13th century, the Old Prussians were conquered by the Teutonic Knights, and gradually assimilated over the following centuries. Patronymic names changed with each generation. A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. For example: Althaus ("old house") Birnbaum ("pear tree") Merrow. Another valuable tool can be the Prussia, Municipality Gazetteer, 1905 (Gemeindelexikon fr Knigreich Preussen) on Ancestry.com. Naturalization documents are especially important if your ancestor became a citizen (which you can determine by examining federal censuses). 2 The terms meaning differed greatly during the half-millennium in which the Hohenzollern family wielded power in Central Europe, many of its members crowned Kings of Prussia.. (see below). 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. When researching/reading genealogical records, this is most often the group/ nation to whom your family members are claiming an allegiance or an affiliation. Fishtail. Within that name held two syllables which both held distinct meanings. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Episode 02- March 2019 So you think your ancestor was Prussian.pdf. Home. (All vestages of German government and control were removed following WW2. How Continue reading My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia. 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). This list is different than one showingpopular German surnameswith their English translations. About Us. 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. 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. Once youve found your ancestral town of origin and located it on a map, you can consult a few different resources for Prussian records. 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. Pages in category "German-language surnames" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 4,357 total. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. Population-wise, the oblast is thoroughly Russian and Russophone in character, with almost none of the pre-World War II German, Lithuanian (Lietuvininks), Latvian speaking Kursenieki, or Polish population remaining in todays Kaliningrad Oblast. The most Prussian families were found in USA in 1920. 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. German names are strong and have a long history behind them. Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian. German Names from Rottweil, Baden-Wrttemberg, 1441, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Names of 1350 men and women, with a partial list of surnames. 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. Archion.de and Matricula have growing browsable databases of Protestant and Catholic records, respectively. 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. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, Franceand Spain. 100 Russian Last Names 1. 1938. Abram. Where is Pomerania? Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space. 4. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prussian ancestors lived in harsh conditions. Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. Fortunately, many US censuses inquired about the respondents place of birth, making them a possible source for your ancestors Prussian origins. Bauer, Ingrid. (Kevan Hansens Map Guide to German Parish Registers series, found in many libraries that have German collections, can also give this information.). The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Prussian. 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. Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total. 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. Rostova Leo Tolstoy 's War and Peace. Prussia was effectively abolished in 1932, and officially abolished in 1947. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. Rudat German (East Prussian) Variant of Rudatis. Germans may also use "-el" as a diminutive ending. What follows is a link to a timeline that enumerates Prussias ascendancy. Men often take on the wife's surname if moving onto her property. From 1772-1829 and 1878-1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. 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