The following online source contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English: Many given names have variants and dialectical forms. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations. 1854. Why so many people consider themselves German, even though their ancestors lived in other countries, sometimes for hundreds of years. Trace your ancestry in Prussia, Bavaria and more with our guide to research in Germanys historical regions, What is Prussia? Other record groups havent survived the regions tumultuous 20th century. 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. 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. Meanings and Origins of Common Last Names. 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. Subjects were often reluctant to comply, so several decrees were needed. 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. For each Germanic surname in this glossary, we have provided the English meaning, which may or may not be a surname in English. East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) surname derived from Lithuanian puaite " (young) pine tree", which - allegedly - used to be a term of endearment for a young girl. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. In the table, the German name is listed on the left, with its origin (and explanation if needed) on the right. 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). Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space. A small collection of women's given names from Arnsburg, in Hessen. This is especially true for Westfalen (Westphalia) and Hannover and parts of Rheinland and Schlesien (Silesia). Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. ThoughtCo. In 1790, Baden was the first German state to require fixed surnames. 2005- 2023 eirenicon llc. These embarkation lists (as well as handwritten indexes for them that might be needed as a workaround for bad handwriting) are available on Ancestry.com. An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prussian ancestors lived in harsh conditions. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. Ackermann. Once you have some more direction about your ancestors province, consult resources created by individual societies and genealogy groups about Prussians who came from a particular region. The problem was usually solved by adding descriptive information. Three suffixes which often indicate a German occupational name are: -er (one who), commonly found in names such as Fischer, one who fishes; -hauer (hewer or cutter), used in names such as Baumhauer, tree chopper; and -macher (one who makes), found in names like Schumacher, one who makes shoes. The use of patronymics continued until decrees were passed that required persons to adopt permanent hereditary family names. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John. 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. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. 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). How Continue reading My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. (For more see Wikipedia). Occupational Names [edit | edit source]. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. 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. Two related pieces of information can come to your rescue. Perhaps the name is misspelled in a record or has multiple names. In Germany, these occupational names still form the largest group of German surnames. Preuen issued an edict on 11 March 1812 that required that permanent family names be adopted within six months. Gender and grammar can affect German surname endings. all rights reserved. Ill walk you through three steps to tracing your Prussian ancestors. Different branches of the same family may adopt various surname spellings. This gazetteer can be helpful in determining which Catholic and Protestant parishes a village belonged toinformation not found in the Meyers Gazetteer. From 1772-1829 and 1878-1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. History of German Names. This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. Notice that there is no apostrophe. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. Rudatis German (East Prussian) Acker. Dialect spellings can often give a clue to the origin of the name and even the region where an ancestor lived. Some records preface names with occupations, and the occupation may erroneously be indexed as a given name. )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. (US civil vital records, too, might have specific place names, but this is less likely.). Fishtail. Rudat German (East Prussian) Variant of Rudatis. Some of these collections are also on Ancestry.com and MyHeritage, since the two companies helped fund some of FamilySearchs digitization projects. 3. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. About Us. . Part of a German's first name(s) could come from. (Note: Naturalization documents contain uniform information after the process was federalized in 1907, but details will vary in earlier records.). 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 Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg. . Some farm families, particularly in Westphalia, used the particle "von" or "zu" followed by their farm or former farm's name as a family name. 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. Many of these professions no longer exist but survive in naming traditions. But for the many Prussians who left via the port of Hamburg, embarkation lists show even more detailed information. Bsch 1 German. "The Top 100 German Surnames." 2. Even after 1871, Germany's land area and political influence shifted several times. View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prussian. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. With this list of German last names, discover the origin of your surname and how your ancestors made it come to life. A good way to determine naming customs of the area is to study the patterns found in the records of birth/christening, marriages, and burials/deaths. the "eit" at the end of their Surnames. 26). 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). 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. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. Most military records, for example, were unfortunately destroyed in WWII bombing (though documents from independent Hanover have survived). Although it is not obvious today, Prussia was once one of the worlds great powers. The acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. 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. Some areas of Germany may use diminutive forms of names more than others. You can also find geographic-specific databases of emigrants relating to Prussian areas. 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. Many of these have been digitized and indexed; look at FamilySearchs list of collections to see whats available for Prussia or the modern German/Polish state your ancestors town of origin is in. To view this content, you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. It was ethnically cleansed of Germans by Poland, the Soviet Union and the allies after World War 2. German Names from 1495, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael About a hundred masculine and feminine given names collected from an The most Prussian families were found in USA in 1920. 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.. It is being seen as mocking India as the country overtakes China to become the world's most populous nation. As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. Site Search. For example: In most of Germany, the practice of using surnames was well established by the. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. Click. Pages in category "German-language surnames" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 4,357 total. . For example, Hansel and Gretel for Johan and Margret. Check these six sources for the name of your German immigrant ancestors home village. This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total. 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. Naturalization documents are especially important if your ancestor became a citizen (which you can determine by examining federal censuses). Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach (er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". 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. Der Spiegel is a weekly news magazine. When names first came about in German history, people tended to only have one name. Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian. 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. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. 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 Where is Pomerania? Home. 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. 1854. It wasnt until the Middle Ages (in approximately the 12th century) that family names came into common use. Abram. In many cases, the first reference to Prussian ancestry that you see will be from an American record. Prussia/Preuen was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. 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. East Prussia (Ostpreuen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 to 1945. The use of patronymic names was prevalent in the Schleswig-Holstein and Ostfriesland areas in northern Germany. Surnames may also have been translated outright into English, sometimes with a slight twist. These describe the rank or trade of the original surname recipient and are the second most common group. 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. In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Prussian. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The most common German surname is Mller (which translates as Miller). For example, Hans Petersen was a son of a man named Peter. Men often take on the wife's surname if moving onto her property. do not look for your family to be German before 1871; there was no Germany before 1871! A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. 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. Compulsory surname laws were enacted in the German states of Bayern and Mecklenburg in 1813 and 1814. Trade Surnames [edit | edit source]. Find your Dutch last name and learn about name meanings and origins in the Netherlands. 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. In many areas of Germany there is a widespread use of "Hofnamen" or "farm names" used. Ammendorf family. 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. 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. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . 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. 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). Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. Schmidt is the most common surname in the central German-speaking and eastern low German-speaking areas. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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). 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. How Continue reading Surname Changes of German Immigrants in the United States, Surname Changes of German Immigrants in Hungary. Alber (name) Albin (surname) Albrecht; Albrich; Alemann; Allerstorfer; Allmayer; Allram; Alms (disambiguation) Alpenheim; Alscher; Alt (surname) Alterman; Altermann; Altmaier (surname) Altmann (surname) They include Schneider (tailor), Fischer (fisherman) and Weber (weaver). The Top 100 German Surnames. The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. One such group. 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. This is taken from the Hebrew name 'hevel' meaning 'breath,' 'vanity' or 'vapor.'. 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 . (Kevan Hansens Map Guide to German Parish Registers series, found in many libraries that have German collections, can also give this information.). Standesamt I in Berlin holds duplicate copies of civil registries in eastern Prussian territories now in Poland or Russia. Hans dictus Krier (Hans who is called a soldier.). in German studies. Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 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. If Hans had a son Jens, the son was known as Jens Hansen (son of Hans). ManyRoads' work and material is licensed under a: You have Prussian ancestry, but cant find Prussia on modern maps. In November 1918, the monarchies were abolished and the nobility lost its political power. Prussia was effectively abolished in 1932, and officially abolished in 1947. Should you wish to learn more about Prussia and its history, ManyRoads offers extensive texts as well as maps on Historical Germany and Europe. A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father. The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. German Names from Rottweil, Baden-Wrttemberg, 1441, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Names of 1350 men and women, with a partial list of surnames. German Last Names and Their Meanings Once youve found your ancestral town of origin and located it on a map, you can consult a few different resources for Prussian records. 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. This list may not reflect recent changes. For the veterans among your Prussian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. When researching/reading genealogical records, this is most often the group/ nation to whom your family members are claiming an allegiance or an affiliation. "The Top 100 German Surnames." What does it mean when a record(s) says that your family member was Prussian? As the various provinces and duchies of German fell under the rule of different countries, the language used in records could change. 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. This topic comes up frequently and seems to cause a lot of confusion, especially here in the US. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. Prussia shaped the history of Germany, with its capital in Berlin after 1451. 2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Dive into this disappearing state with this overview of Prussian history. This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of German or Old English origins with the meaning 'plowed field.'. For example, Weber Ernst Friederich Zentner is a man named Ernst Friederich Zentner who is a weaver. From 1824-1878, East Prussia was combined with West Prussia to form the Province of Prussia, after which they were re-established as separate provinces. House of Alvensleben. 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. Occupational name meaning "cooper, barrel maker" in German. Bttcher German. Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940. What are the most popular Dutch surnames?
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