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. 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. Preuen issued an edict on 11 March 1812 that required that permanent family names be adopted within six months. *We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs. Abram. Few of the latter are on the following list, but examples include Brinkmann, Berger, and Frank. This topic comes up frequently and seems to cause a lot of confusion, especially here in the US. Adelebsen (German noble family) Ahlefeldt (noble family) Albertine branch. When names first came about in German history, people tended to only have one name. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. You can see how Prussian families moved over time by selecting different census years. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more. 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. Why so many people consider themselves German, even though their ancestors lived in other countries, sometimes for hundreds of years. For each Germanic surname in this glossary, we have provided the English meaning, which may or may not be a surname in English. 3. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names. This guide goes through the best Prussian genealogy records that may help you pinpoint your ancestors origins. However, an attitude adjustment will help you solve your Prussia problems. Many Indians have tweeted, saying that that the . There are 251 census records available for the last name Prussian. 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. 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 cousin who came over with his family at the same time chose to use "Black". (2023, April 5). 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Family History Library has large volumes of microfilm containing births, marriages and deaths from historical Prussia. Dukes of Prussia Junker (Prussia) A Althann Ambly des Ayvelles Johann Wilhelm von Archenholz Arco family Arnim family Arz von Wasegg Hans Adolf Erdmann von Auerswald Rudolf von Auerswald B Ballestrem Barnekow family Beissel von Gymnich Bentheim (noble family) Cornelius von Berenberg-Gossler Heinrich von Berenberg-Gossler 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. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. Or, at least, a record might identify a Provinz (province; plural is Provinzen) to narrow down the search to a particular area of Prussia. . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 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. This is a patronymic name derived from the reduced form of the name 'Abraham' that means 'father of a multitude.'. Bauer, Ingrid. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. 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. Should you wish to learn more about Prussia and its history, ManyRoads offers extensive texts as well as maps on Historical Germany and Europe. 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. How Continue reading My thoughts regarding genealogy and family names in EastPrussia. Until then, it was made up of smaller nation-states whose borders frequently changed. 1854. Because German genealogical records were kept in various languages, you may find your ancestor's name in different languages at different times. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. And they are: During the 13th century, the Old Prussians were conquered by the Teutonic Knights, and gradually assimilated over the following centuries. all rights reserved. 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. A daughter Maria might be either Maria Hansen or Maria Hansdotter. Ill walk you through three steps to tracing your Prussian ancestors. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If major changes occur in the naming patterns or form used, that could indicate a ministerial change, perhaps one coming from another area. Surname Changes of German Immigrants in the United States, Surname Changes of German Immigrants in Hungary. What does it mean when a record(s) says that your family member was Prussian? Many of these professions no longer exist but survive in naming traditions. 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. 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. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German. With this list of German last names, discover the origin of your surname and how your ancestors made it come to life. The territory was included within Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia from 1939-45. The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. Ackermann. View Census Data for Prussian | Data not to scale. The list was initially created by searching for the most common last names in German telephone books. Find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins. . This list may not reflect recent changes. 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. Standesamt I in Berlin holds duplicate copies of civil registries in eastern Prussian territories now in Poland or Russia. 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. Other record groups havent survived the regions tumultuous 20th century. 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 Ammendorf family. 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). Another valuable tool can be the Prussia, Municipality Gazetteer, 1905 (Gemeindelexikon fr Knigreich Preussen) on Ancestry.com. Many people there had German ancestors who emigrated from Saltzburg and a variety of other German cities and states. 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. Prussia/Preuen was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Germany - Names, Personal - Handbooks, manuals, etc. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. Occupational Names [edit | edit source]. refused to name politicians allegedly involved in looting . 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). But for the many Prussians who left via the port of Hamburg, embarkation lists show even more detailed information. Check these six sources for the name of your German immigrant ancestors home village. Braband German. Prussian genealogy research isnt always easy. It contains information about name variants, ancestry, extent and well-known personalities of the line. 2. 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 Gender and grammar can affect German surname endings. Acker. The most Prussian families were found in USA in 1920. John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg. Where variations of a spelling of a surname occurred, those monikers are listed as separate names. 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. Hermann Josefs Sohn would mean Joseph's son Hermann. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. Spelling of German surnames often changed to reflect. Examples: Feuerstein= Firestone, Schwarzenbach (er) = Blackcreek [which evolved into "Blackrick" and other phonetic spellings], or simply "Black". 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. For example, Weber Ernst Friederich Zentner is a man named Ernst Friederich Zentner who is a weaver. Accola. 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. Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland. Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. Some of these collections are also on Ancestry.com and MyHeritage, since the two companies helped fund some of FamilySearchs digitization projects. 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. Rudatis German (East Prussian) 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 1880 there was 1 Prussian family living in Minnesota. 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. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. A version of this article appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Family Tree Magazine. Prussia : 1790 : 1867 Anderson : Hordaland : Norway . Although it is not obvious today, Prussia was once one of the worlds great powers. 26). 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. In many areas of Germany there is a widespread use of "Hofnamen" or "farm names" used. Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940. There are 18 military records available for the last name Prussian. List of Bavarian noble families. "Old French Records", at "BYU Script Tutorial", Last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. Find a Grave has become the leading site showing memorial information, but there are still many offline sources such as marker transcripts in county historical and genealogical libraries. 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. Ambly des Ayvelles. German Names from Rottweil, Baden-Wrttemberg, 1441, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael Names of 1350 men and women, with a partial list of surnames. (Note: Naturalization documents contain uniform information after the process was federalized in 1907, but details will vary in earlier records.). Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian. Naturalization documents are especially important if your ancestor became a citizen (which you can determine by examining federal censuses). Prussia shaped the history of Germany, with its capital in Berlin after 1451. 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. There are 51 immigration records available for the last name Prussian. First Trimester To-Do List: Take Care of Yourself. 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. As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. The Top 100 German Surnames. Terms such as modo, vulgo, genannt, and alias indicate this naming practice. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/german-last-names-1444607. Merrow. Because of this, German last names can be found throughout bordering countries, including Poland, Austria, Franceand Spain. 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 acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. Baptismal Sponsors In German-speaking areas, children were almost always named for one or more of their baptismal sponsors. 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).
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