Login to post. Each listing includes the origin of the family, the master seat, sometimes family coats of arms, fundamentals of family history and prominent members. Like many of their European neighbours, the nobility of Germany adopted the custom of using the name of their estate or region as their surname or integrating it into their given family name. WebSurnames beginning with A. A-01 Aaker to Alley. They bore the title "margrave" until the few who survived as sovereigns assumed higher titles when the Empire was abolished in 1806. 3. The ruling monarch granted a noble title and the right to use a coat-of-arms as a reward for persons who performed a heroic deed, achieved a notable accomplishment, or held a prominent government position. The Commission's rulings are generally non-binding for individuals and establish no rights or privileges that German authorities or courts would have to consider or observe. The more important ones are treated in separate articles (follow the links); a few minor, rarer ones only in sections below. This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 17:20. These quasi-sovereign families comprised mostly princely and comital families, but included a few dukes also of Belgian and Dutch origin (Arenberg, Cro, Looz-Corswarem). 450-1100)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2007, Articles containing Swedish-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 03:38. The Deutscher Adelsrechtsausschuss or German Commission on Nobiliary Law can decide matters such as lineage, legitimacy, and a person's right to bear a name of nobility, in accordance with codified nobiliary law as it existed prior to 1919. Bakker947, Welcome to the List of German Nobility and Aristocracy Page, Last Grand Dukes, Dukes and Princes - 1918, French_Revolutionary_Wars_Timeline_-_1792, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duke Friedrich August II of Oldenburg, Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernest of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Duke Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Gnther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_monarchs_in_1918. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Arthur. [citation needed]. In a similar way, the prefix Zu in a German surname can also be an indication of nobility. Brand 1 German, English Derived from the Old German given name Brando or its In the Holy Roman Empire, many Imperial counts (Reichsgrafen) retained near-sovereign authority in their lands until the Congress of Vienna subordinated them to larger, neighboring monarchs through the German mediatisation process of 1815, preserving their precedence, allocating familial representation in local legislatures, some jurisdictional immunities and the prestigious privilege of Ebenbrtigkeit. Noblewomen who marry commoners lose their nobility and become commoners themselves, and nobility is only recovered if they remarry a nobleman. The more that join the easier it will be to discover patterns. During the unification of Germany, mainly from 1866 to 1871, the states of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (in 1850), Schleswig-Holstein and Nassau were absorbed into Prussia. Gauthier. [9] In general, the von form indicates the family's place of origin, while the zu form indicates the family's continued possession of the estate from which the surname is drawn. Examples: Burgrave of Nuremberg, Burgrave of (Burggraf zu) Dohna-Schlobitten. Information on these families constituted the second section of Justus Perthes entries on reigning, princely, and ducal families in the Almanach de Gotha. 2. Members of the noble class seldom left their country or disowned their children. 7. Their kin, spouse, and living children were not affected, but children born to a man after an Adelsverlust were commoners and did not inherit the father's former nobility. 276 SW211C).jpg, Wapen Gerwin van Cobbenrode 1420-1483.svg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Noble_families_of_Germany&oldid=646884777, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. In April 1919, Austrian nobility was abolished under the First Austrian Republic (19191934) and, contrary to Germany, the subsequent use and legal recognition of hereditary titles and aristocratic particles and use as part of surnames was banned. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1968. Rather, each is linked to a specific countship, whose unique title emerged during the course of its history. They acquired not only the technical skills but the necessary education in high prestige German universities that facilitated their success. as an arbitrary distinction invented by the Kingdom of Prussia. Most German states had strict laws concerning proper conduct, employment, or marriage of nobles. With a meaning of "forest," this name typically applied to lumbermen. Bamann, Bassmann, Bassermann ( Basserman / Baserman ), von Bassermann-Jordan (a nobility) Bauch Baudissin (from Bautzen) Baudler Bauer Bauerle Nobility that held legal privileges until 1918 greater than those enjoyed by commoners, but less than those enjoyed by the Hochadel, were considered part of the lower nobility or Niederer Adel. This is an occupational surname related to operating a mill (milling). Examples: Margrave of Baden, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. Although some original records such as grants of nobility still exist, you can often research your noble ancestors by using compiled sources. This category has the following 200 subcategories, out of 1,432 total. Enzo. Barrett - German origin. Armani These were the families of kings (Bavaria, Hanover, Prussia, Saxony, and Wrttemberg), grand dukes (Baden, Hesse and by Rhine, Luxembourg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg and Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach), reigning dukes (Anhalt, Brunswick, Schleswig-Holstein, Nassau, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen), and reigning princes (Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Liechtenstein, Lippe, Reuss, Schaumburg-Lippe, Schwarzburg, and Waldeck-Pyrmont). If you dont find your German Family Name here we may have it but not have added it to this page yet. Graf (feminine: Grfin) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". In the monarchies of Belgium, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, where German is one of the official languages, the title continues to be recognised, used and, occasionally, granted by the national fons honorum, the reigning monarch. Some nobles prefer to downplay their aristocratic status or heritage, and so they use another family surname, a chosen name or a version of their surname that doesnt reflect the noble aspect. In this respect, the General State Laws for the Prussian States of 1794 spoke of marriage (and children) "to the right hand". WebGraf (feminine: Grfin) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count".Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as One glamorous example of this practice is Mitzi Gaynor, the American actress popular in the 1950s who appeared in classic Hollywood films such as. Hochadel ("upper nobility", or "high nobility") were those noble houses which ruled sovereign states within the Holy Roman Empire and, later, in the German Confederation and the German Empire. Adalwolf (German origin) means "noble wolf." The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed. Meibom cf.Heinrich Meibom, Marcus Meibom (danish composer), etc, Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Liste der hufigsten deutschen Familiennamen, http://www.saur.de/dbe/deutsch/page03.htm, https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Appendix:German_surnames&oldid=71753275, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Jeismann ( other variants - Jeijsman and Jeisman ) surname comes from Eisman/Eijsman = Eisenmann. Means "sword" or "fiery." Patronymic surnames are names that are passed down from father to child. In some regions of Germany where the nobility was less of an important feature of the emerging culture, some non-noble families adopted and used the prefixes of Von or Zu. Nobility was inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line. Where no coat of arms is available, the file position from Siebmacher's 1605 Book of Coats of Arms is given as follows: page number of the coat of arms plate and position of the coat of arms on the plate (the page numbers of reprints are not used). 49. Speaking with a financial advisor could help. Gordon is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Scottish surname Gordon. It is uncertain if this surname originated from a place name in Scotland or in France. The word Graf derives from Middle High German: grave, which is usually derived from Latin: graphio. The German nobility was gradually divided into high and low nobility. Subject class number 943 D65da. 15.Graham (Scottish Origin), one of the common last Means "young warrior." This excluded marriages with women of the lower social classes, but did not mean a woman had to come from nobility herself. A Burggraf, or Burgrave, was a 12th- and 13th-century military and civil judicial governor of a castle (compare castellan, custos, keeper) of the town it dominated and of its immediate surrounding countryside. 14. Geneva, 1204 Meaning "noble." The title is now borne by the hereditary heirs to the deposed monarchs of Hesse (Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse and Wilhelm, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld), who lost their throne in 1918. Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe, I consent to my data being stored in line with your Privacy Policy & Legal Notice (required), Keep me updated - I'd like to sign up for the latest news & offers. Membership in organizations traditionally considered noble, such as certain chivalric orders. Anyone interested in German Nobility and Aristocracy who would like to help work on a page? 2. [11] Name elements which have developed from honorary functions, such as Schenk (short for Mundschenk, i.e., "cup-bearer"), are also overlooked. Heraldry is the design, use, regulation, and recording of coats-of-arms. Former hereditary titles are permitted as part of the surname (e.g., the aristocratic particles von and zu), and these surnames can then be inherited by a person's children. Usually a hyphenated suffix indicated which of the familial lands a particular line of counts held, e.g. (For a modern example, think of the Earl. May 5, 2022 | Aristocracy, Germany, Noble Titles, Royal Titles. Some are approximately of comital rank, some higher, some lower. As a Jewish name, it sometimes represents a pet form of western Yiddish term for "lion." "The Titled Businessman: Prussian Commercial Councillors in the Rhineland and Westphalia during the Nineteenth Century", in David Blackbourn and Richard J. Eellung der Mediatisierten 18151918, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 15:10. There are many popular surnames across multiple cultures that mean wolf. Castell-Rudenhausen. 1. Catholic nobility played a major role in the new Centre party, while Protestant nobles were especially active in the Conservative party.[2]. Members of this class had titles such as Baron [Freiherr], Duke [Herzog], Count [Graf], Margrave [Markgraf], and Knight (Sir) [Ritter]. Strictly denoting origin (literally meaning "of" or "from") with a place names. Die Gothaischen Taschenbcher, Hofkalender, und Almanach (The Gotha pocketbooks, calendar and almanac). (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Fax Number: +41 225 181 369 is used to reflect where a person is from similar to, Throughout the evolution of the European aristocracy in the Middle Ages, these prefixes have related to a land-holding or estate that belonged to a noble family, or a region that was inherent in a noble title. These are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under: Sources with information about noble ancestors may also be listed under: Such families are often subjects of published genealogical books or articles. Caddel - Welsh origin. Some minor noble families are not included in any books. The following criteria are most important in such cases: The Adelsrechtsausschuss does not recognize ennoblements made by heads of formerly ruling houses, but the associations of the formerly ruling and mediatized houses of Germany send representatives to the commission. Today, having lost their legal status, these terms are often not translated, unlike before 1919. WebJewish surnames are family names used by Jews and those of Jewish origin. [12] Nobiliary particles are not capitalised unless they begin a sentence, and then they are usually skipped,[13] unless this creates confusion. (For a modern example, think of the Earl of Northumberland or the Duke of Cambridge.). From the Middle Ages, a Graf usually ruled a territory known as a Grafschaft ('county'). This category has the following 200 subcategories, out of 210 total. This so-called "Non-Objection" (Nichtbeanstandung) results in the factual ennoblement of the recipient (even though the term is not applied), making Germany one of the few republics where it is still possible for non-nobles to join the ranks of the nobility even though there is no monarch who can ennoble anymore. It also briefly describes the family's entitlement to that coat-of-arms. In medieval times the borders of the Holy Roman Empire were especially vulnerable to foreign attack, so the hereditary count of these "marches" of the realm was sometimes granted greater authority than other vassals to ensure security. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Upwardly mobile German families typically followed marriage strategies involving men of lower rank marrying women of higher status who brought a major dowry.[7][8]. Categories: Germany Genealogy Resources | German Nobility | European Nobility | Royalty, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. 16 Two Brothers Astro Fizz. This page has been viewed 52,830 times (0 via redirect). Germany follows Salic law, as most Continental European countries. 3. However, sometimes the right to bear a coat-of-arms was inherited by the descendants of the person to whom it was granted. Select titleFrench Feudal Barony (from 7000)French Viscount (from 9000)French Count (from 10000)French-Germanic Feudal Barony (from 12000)French Marquisate (from 12000)Italian Feudal Barony (from 7000)Italian Marquisate (from 12000)Italian Duchy (from 15000)Italian Principality (from 20000)German Lordship (from 3900)German Viscount (from 4900)German Barony (from 7000)German Count (from 9000)German Duchy (from 18000)German Principality (from 30000)Italian Lordship (from 2900)French Lordship (from 2900), Country (required) Many younger sons were positioned in the rapidly growing national and regional bureaucracies, as well as in the military. However, dispensations are granted only in the most exceptional cases, as they infringe on the rights of a theoretical future monarch. This list may not reflect recent changes. "The creation of nobles in Prussia, 1871-1918. His jurisdiction was a Burggrafschaft, burgraviate. Most were untitled, only making use of the particle von in their surnames. These unusually named countships were equivalent in rank to other Counts of the Empire who were of Hochadel status, being entitled to a shared seat and vote in the Imperial Diet and possessing Imperial immediacy, most of which would be mediatised upon dissolution of the Empire in 1806.[5]. While the von Braun name and noble connection was inherited from his fathers side of the family, Wernher von Brauns mother had an equally impressive lineage, reportedly dating back to medieval European royalty, including kings of France, Denmark, Scotland and England. The Zu prefix suggests that a family is still resident at a particular estate or region, as opposed to having simply descended from that place. [citation needed], In English, Reichsgraf is usually translated simply as count and is combined with a territorial suffix (e.g., Count of Holland, Count Reuss) or a surname (Count Fugger, Count von Browne). Although nobility as a class is no longer recognised in Germany and enjoys no legal privileges, institutions exist that carry on the legal tradition of pre-1919 nobiliary law, which in Germany today is subsumed under Sonderprivatrecht or special private law. But a grafliche title with such a prefix did not always signify a higher than comital rank or membership in the Hochadel. The status of a landgrave was elevated, usually being associated with suzerains who were subject to the Holy Roman Emperor but exercised sovereign authority within their lands and independence greater than the prerogatives to which a simple Graf was entitled, but the title itself implied no specific, legal privileges. (HRR) erhebt den Wiker Frosch in Mainz in den adelsstand. Rue du March 7 Mitzis real name and full title is Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber. It contains information about name variants, ancestry, extent and well-known personalities of the line. The list is an alphabetical overview of Bavarian nobility. If your ancestor was of the noble class, the following books may help you in your research: Hefner, Otto Titian von. 308, Augsburg 1515 - 1650, Wappenbuch des churbayrischen Adels (Copie eines Originals von 1560), Vol. The following sources are of particular interest in Germany: The FamilySearch Library has collected many armorial and heraldry books. ), Horst Appuhn (ed. Apply this search to the user-submitted names, 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 "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. Popular Surnames Meaning Wolf. Carnell - English origin. FS Library International 943 B4da v. 2. Moreno was a significant surname in medieval Christian kingdoms of Spain. However, the pre-1919 style sometimes continues in colloquial usage. 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Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. Nobility that held legal privileges until 1918 greater than those enjoyed by commoners, but less than those enjoyed by the Hochadel, were considered part of the lower nobility or Niederer Adel. [4] A count who was not a Reichsgraf was likely to possess only a mesne fief (Afterlehen) he was subject to an immediate prince of the empire, such as a duke or prince elector. Fritsch, Thomas, Freiherr von. In 1919, nobiliary particles and titles became part of the surname. When a person by the common occupational surname of "Meyer" received nobility, they would thus simply become "von Meyer". WebThis page uses content from the English language Wikipedia.The original content was at Category:German_noble_families.The list of authors can be seen in the page history.As Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution constitutes: Learn how and when to remove this template message, WorldStatesmen: see every modern state; here Germany/Holy Roman Empire, "Evolution of the Council of Princes from 1582 to 1803", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Graf&oldid=1137724259, Articles needing additional references from June 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Middle High German (ca. In Germany, all legal privileges of the nobility have been officially abolished since August 1919, and Graf, like any other hereditary title, is treated as part of the legal surname. WebTraditional German Wheat beer with notes of banana, clove, and spiciness from German Noble Hops. Various organisations[citation needed] perpetuate the historical legacy of the former nobility, documenting genealogy, chronicling the history of noble families and sometimes declining to acknowledge persons who acquired noble surnames in ways impossible before 1919. , and suggests a noble family being resident at a particular place, usually a country estate, family seat or inherited region. The shortened form of the Italian name Lorenzo, this spunky and cute moniker means home ruler.. Historically, German entities that recognized or conferred nobility included the Holy Roman Empire (9621806), the German Confederation (18141866) and the German Empire (18711918). Initially burgrave suggested a similar function and history as other titles rendered in German by Vizegraf, in Dutch as Burggraaf or in English as Viscount[citation needed] (Latin: Vicecomes); the deputy of a count charged with exercising the count's prerogatives in overseeing one or more of the count's strongholds or fiefs, as the burgrave dwelt usually in a castle or fortified town. Many alternative spellings include Marian, Moratin, Moratn, The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 247 total. Bell (French origin) means "beautiful or fair". Many became political leaders of new reform organizations such as agrarian leagues, and pressure groups. However, the zu particle can also hint to the split of a dynasty, as providing information on the adopted new home of one split-off branch: For instance, a senior branch owning and maybe even still residing at the place of the dynasty's origin might have been called of A-Town [{and at} A-Town] furthermore, while a new, junior branch could then have adopted the style of, say, of A-town [and] at B-ville, sometimes even dropping [and] at, simply hyphenating the names of the two places. Bardin - German origin. 42. St. Erasmus Waldkraiburg. Four Volumes in Two. This is a quick reference list of German noble families. In Switzerland, the title is not acknowledged in law. The nobility is divided into two sections: Hochadel and Niederadel (high and low nobility). Nonetheless, various rulers in German-speaking lands granted the hereditary title of Graf to their subjects, particularly after the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Moreover, nobles employed in menial labour and lowly trades or wage labour could lose their nobility, as could nobles convicted of capital crimes. Neues allgemeines Deutsches Adels-Lexicon or New General German Aristocracy Lexicon is the title of a series of historical reference books written by Professor Dr. Ernst Heinrich Kneschke about the German aristocracy, including royalty and nobility. The suffix -graf occurs in various office titles which did not attain nobiliary status but were either held as a sinecure by nobleman or courtiers, or functional officials such as the Deichgraf (in a polder management organization). A gefrsteter Graf (English: princely count) is a Reichsgraf who was recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor as bearing the higher rank or exercising the more extensive authority of an Imperial prince (Reichsfrst).