But many of these families had a common denominator the eit at the end of their Surnames. This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total. For more parenting tips and tricks, find us on Pinterest: Are you a writer, expert, or influencer? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. Contact. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prussian surname lived. However, an "attitude adjustment" will help you solve your Prussia problems. Agnesia f German (East Prussian, Rare), German (Bessarabian), Medieval Italian Latinization of Agnes and Agnese. Several books are available that list variant forms of given names. Why so many people consider themselves German, even though their ancestors lived in other countries, sometimes for hundreds of years. Seafarer. Ammendorf family. Althann. This was 100% of all the recorded Prussian's in USA. You can also find geographic-specific databases of emigrants relating to Prussian areas. Merrow. In the table, the German name is listed on the left, with its origin (and explanation if needed) on the right. In some areas of Germany, individuals took a second surname from the name of a farm.. Along with the rest of the Kingdom of Prussia, East Prussia became part of . The following online source contains given names translated into 23 different European languages, including English: Many given names have variants and dialectical forms. First Trimester To-Do List: Take Care of Yourself. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. The last name could, for example, also be what you would call a farm name. 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). A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father. 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. Within that name held two syllables which both held distinct meanings. This list may not reflect recent changes. 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. Prior to 1900, formal surname changes documented in local court records are relatively rare. 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. 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. Bsch 1 German. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. By the 1820s, most small German states had extended civil rights to Jews and required them to adopt surnames. German Eaglessingle head 640 years, double-headed 366 years, then single head ever since 1871. When names first came about in German history, people tended to only have one name. Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian. (Hans itself is a familiar variant of Johan.). Some records preface names with occupations, and the occupation may erroneously be indexed as a given name. Get in touch! Your support, through donation or affiliate useage, allows ManyRoads to remain online. do not look for your family to be German before 1871; there was no Germany before 1871! Browse profiles of historical people with the Prussian last name, This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. The following 110 pages are in this category, out of 110 total. 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. 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. Occupational Names [edit | edit source]. 1854. 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.. At first surnames applied only to one person, not to the whole family. 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. How Continue reading For example, Hans Petersen was a son of a man named Peter. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. "The Top 100 German Surnames." Before the 1800s, the use of a surname by Jews was left to the discretion of the individual. The Prussian family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. 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. 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. Other record groups havent survived the regions tumultuous 20th century. Acker. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. If his wife inherited a farm, he might change his name to her maiden name. Rabideau Henss Family Histories & Genealogy. 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. Occupational name meaning "cooper, barrel maker" in German. From 1772-1829 and 1878-1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. Between 1972 and 2002, in the United States, Prussian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1991. This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. In 1880 there was 1 Prussian family living in Minnesota. 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. Prussia shaped the history of Germany, with its capital in Berlin after 1451. 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. 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. *We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs. Meanings and Origins of Common Last Names. 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. Here are some of the US records most likely to reveal your Prussian ancestors town of origin. The Celts populated Europe and England until conquered and assimilated by Germanic peoples, The First Reich, or first German Empire, lasted 1000 years, succeeded by the Second Reich in 1871, The 1871 map of Germany shows Prussia at the height of its power, The city of Breslau in Silesia has a long German history, but it is no longer part of Germany, The first practical refrigerator was invented in Germany in 1873. Understanding customs used in German names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Compiled by subject specialists at the Library of Congress, this guide provides print and online resources for researching the genealogy of German families in the U.S., along with key national, state and local histories. A version of this article appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Family Tree Magazine. 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). 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. Some areas of Germany may use diminutive forms of names more than others. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. . Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. 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. This is taken from the Hebrew name 'hevel' meaning 'breath,' 'vanity' or 'vapor.'. However, an attitude adjustment will help you solve your Prussia problems. Should you wish to learn more about Prussia and its history, ManyRoads offers extensive texts as well as maps on Historical Germany and Europe. Bauer, Ingrid. Where variations of a spelling of a surname occurred, those monikers are listed as separate names. The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. 26). Two related pieces of information can come to your rescue. 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. If Hans had a son Jens, the son was known as Jens Hansen (son of Hans). Be aware that as people moved, this might change their surname, and it may revert back and forth within the same records. Braband German. What does it mean when a record(s) says that your family member was Prussian? The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. Although it is not obvious today, Prussia was once one of the worlds great powers. Teutonic Knights and their descendants, the Baltic Germans, prospered for 700 years in north eastern Europe. Accola. 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. With this list of German last names, discover the origin of your surname and how your ancestors made it come to life. 24), and Schmid (No. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Fishtail. Because German genealogical records were kept in various languages, you may find your ancestor's name in different languages at different times. Karamazov If this surname looks familiar, it's likely because of Fyodor Dostoevsk y's infamous novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Most German surnames derive either from archaic professions (such as Schmidt, Mller, Weber, or Schfer) or places. 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. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more. Notice that there is no apostrophe. Trade Surnames [edit | edit source]. in German studies. 2. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, Franceand Spain. Most military records, for example, were unfortunately destroyed in WWII bombing (though documents from independent Hanover have survived). Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. One such group. Rudat German (East Prussian) Variant of Rudatis. 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 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. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised and effective army. The Family History Library has large volumes of microfilm containing births, marriages and deaths from historical Prussia. 2 Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940. Many of these professions no longer exist but survive in naming traditions. The average life expectancy for Prussian in 1972 was 71, and 82 in 2002. Check these six sources for the name of your German immigrant ancestors home village. 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. Aachen (German nobility) House of Absberg. The most common German surname is Mller (which translates as Miller). 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. In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Prussian. German Names from Rottweil, Baden-Wrttemberg, 1441, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Names of 1350 men and women, with a partial list of surnames. 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. Germany (GER) 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. 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). As German immigrants moved into English-speaking countries, their surnames were impacted in a variety of ways. 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. It was ethnically cleansed of Germans by Poland, the Soviet Union and the allies after World War 2. Patronymic names changed with each generation. Most Jews did not adopt hereditary family names until required to do so by law. Life in the Past Lane Podcast! When researching/reading genealogical records, this is most often the group/ nation to whom your family members are claiming an allegiance or an affiliation. 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. There are 251 census records available for the last name Prussian. 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 more see Wikipedia). Preuen issued an edict on 11 March 1812 that required that permanent family names be adopted within six months. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation. Some given names are often very different when translated into different languages, as shown by the following table. all rights reserved. 100 Russian Last Names 1. View Census Data for Prussian | Data not to scale. 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. 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. 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. View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prussian. The list was initially created by searching for the most common last names in German telephone books. Trace your ancestry in Prussia, Bavaria and more with our guide to research in Germanys historical regions, What is Prussia? The use of patronymic names was prevalent in the Schleswig-Holstein and Ostfriesland areas in northern Germany. Church archives themselves are digitizing records from their congregations. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach (er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". But many of these families had a common denominator. As the various provinces and duchies of German fell under the rule of different countries, the language used in records could change. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607 (accessed May 1, 2023). Terms such as modo, vulgo, genannt, and alias indicate this naming practice. And they are: During the 13th century, the Old Prussians were conquered by the Teutonic Knights, and gradually assimilated over the following centuries. German Last Names and Their Meanings For the veterans among your Prussian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions. This page has been viewed 166,064 times (14,599 via redirect). Archion.de and Matricula have growing browsable databases of Protestant and Catholic records, respectively. Baptismal Sponsors In German-speaking areas, children were almost always named for one or more of their baptismal sponsors. Some local groups are transcribing them, but youll need to write to the office to get records from most places. Its thought that this system dates back to the time of Charlemagne. The cousin who came over with his family at the same time chose to use "Black". Pommerscher Verein groups were formed by descendants of emigrants from the Prussian province of Pomerania. For researchers with German ancestry, the word Prussia can be a stumperand the fact that theres no such political unit with that name in present-day Europe is just the conundrums starting point. Do not sell or share my personal information. For most, naturalization was a two-step process that required a declaration of intent followed by a petition for naturalization. ThoughtCo. List of Bavarian noble families. But for the many Prussians who left via the port of Hamburg, embarkation lists show even more detailed information. Where is Pomerania? The list is an alphabetical overview of Bavarian nobility. Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. 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. In many cases, the first reference to Prussian ancestry that you see will be from an American record. The capital city was Knigsberg. 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. (Kevan Hansens Map Guide to German Parish Registers series, found in many libraries that have German collections, can also give this information.). An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prussian ancestors lived in harsh conditions. 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. This is an Ashkenazi Jewish last name of German or Old English origins with the meaning 'plowed field.'. (All vestages of German government and control were removed following WW2. This list is different than one showingpopular German surnameswith their English translations. Rudatis German (East Prussian) A couple who have identical first and middle names chose to have different surnames when they got married to avoid confusion. Both contain valuable information about origins; make sure you look for both document types. 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 This is especially true for Westfalen (Westphalia) and Hannover and parts of Rheinland and Schlesien (Silesia). Use of the ending may result in vowel changes, such as "Hnschen", which is "little Hans". Surname Changes of German Immigrants in the United States, Surname Changes of German Immigrants in Hungary. Subjects were often reluctant to comply, so several decrees were needed. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. . Gender and grammar can affect German surname endings. Germans may also use "-el" as a diminutive ending. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. These decrees were passed in 1771, 1820, and 1822 in the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1811 in Ostfriesland. 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 For example: Althaus ("old house") Birnbaum ("pear tree") the "eit" at the end of their Surnames. 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. 100% of Prussian men worked as a Laborer. History of German Names. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. 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. You can see how Prussian families moved over time by selecting different census years. Dialect spellings can often give a clue to the origin of the name and even the region where an ancestor lived. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . Standesamt I in Berlin holds duplicate copies of civil registries in eastern Prussian territories now in Poland or Russia. Ackermann. 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. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . 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. Der Spiegel is a weekly news magazine. "The Top 100 German Surnames." FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc. Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. 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

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