[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. The titles of elector, grand duke, archduke, duke, landgrave, margrave, count palatine, prince and Reichsgraf were borne by rulers who belonged to Germany's Hochadel. The list is an alphabetical overview of Bavarian nobility. Anyone interested in German Nobility and Aristocracy who would like to help work on a page? 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 equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "countess").. Nobility was inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line. Usually a hyphenated suffix indicated which of the familial lands a particular line of counts held, e.g. 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. Almond - Middle Eastern origins. May 5, 2022 | Aristocracy, Germany, Noble Titles, Royal Titles. However, the pre-1919 style sometimes continues in colloquial usage. They acquired not only the technical skills but the necessary education in high prestige German universities that facilitated their success. Persons who bear a noble or noble-sounding surname without belonging to the historical nobility according to Salic law are classified as Nichtadelige Namenstrger, or "non-noble name-carriers". Some impoverished nobles offered adoptions for money in the 20th century, and the adoptees adops extensively themselves, creating a "flood" of fake nobility. The distinguishing main surname is the name following the Graf, or Grfin, and the nobiliary particle if any. ", Hurwich, Judith J. This excluded marriages with women of the lower social classes, but did not mean a woman had to come from nobility herself. Some became hereditary and by the modern era obtained rank just below a count, though above a Freiherr' (baron) who might hold a fief as vassal of the original count. Unlike the other comital titles, Rhinegrave, Wildgrave (Waldgrave), Raugrave, and Altgrave are not generic titles. Categories: Germany Genealogy Resources | German Nobility | European Nobility | Royalty, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. Related: 50 German Last Names and Surnames with Meanings. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1968. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. A Landgraf or Landgrave was a nobleman of comital rank in feudal Germany whose jurisdiction stretched over a territory larger than usually held by a count within the Holy Roman Empire. While nominally retaining only a comital title, he was accorded princely rank and, usually, arms by the Emperor. 2. 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. One example of this is Karl Theodor Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg, or to give him his full title Karl Theodor Maria Georg Achaz Eberhardt Josef Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg. This page has been viewed 52,830 times (0 via redirect). 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. Otto Graf Lambsdorff). A collection of articles, manuscripts, pamphlets, pedigrees and notes about individuals sorted alphabetically by surname can be found in Fhrende Persnlichkeiten (Leading personalities). Some minor noble families are not included in any books. In Germany mainly the noble class, gentry, and some burghers (city residents with citizenship rights) were entitled to bear coats-of-arms. 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. In regions of Europe where nobles did not actually exercise Landeshoheit over the populace, the Graf long retained specific feudal privileges over the land and in the villages in his county, such as rights to peasant service, to periodic fees for use of common infrastructure such as timber, mills, wells and pastures. WebGeiselhart German (Silesian, Rare), Lombardic (Rare), Old High German (Rare) Possibly after the Geisel, a river in Saxony-Anhalt, which likely received its name from either the 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. The Augustenburg family is a German-origin noble house. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. 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. The first known such document is from September 30, 1360, for Wyker Frosch in Mainz. If youre looking for inspiration, studies have revealed that people with German surnames that suggest royal or noble rank, such as Kaiser (emperor), Frst Status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, Several heirs filed suits against this regulation, but on 11 March 1966 the supreme, Lamar Cecil, "The creation of nobles in Prussia, 1871-1918.". [1]. (required) In German, the word von is used to reflect where a person is from similar to of in English, de in French and di in Italian. Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. For instance, members of the former royal families of Prussia and Bavaria were allowed use of Prinz/Prinzessin;[5] or Herzog/Herzogin. Inv. Originally, coats-of-arms were granted to individuals, not families. It is part of the larger Oldenburg house that has ruled many parts of Europe, including Germany, [citation needed], A complete list of Reichsgrafen with immediate territories as of 1792 can be found in the List of Reichstag participants (1792). 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. Moreno was a significant surname in medieval Christian kingdoms of Spain. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. When sorting nobleas well as non-noblenames in alphabetic sequence, any prepositions or (former) title are ignored. Wilder. Noble rank was usually granted to men by letters patent (see Briefadel), whereas women were members of nobility by descent or by marriage to a nobleman. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, Categora:Familias nobles de Alemania; Kategria:Nmet trtnelmi csaldok; Flokkur:skar aalsttir; Kategoria:Alemaniako noblezia familiak; Kategori:Keluarga bangsawan Jerman; : ; Kategorie:Deutsches Adelsgeschlecht; Category:German noble families; : ; Category:; Kategory:Dtsk aadlik laach; Categorie:Familii nobiliare din Germania; : ; Kategria:achtick rody v Nemecku; : ; : ; Category:German noble families; Kategorie:Nmeck lechtick rody; Categoria:Dinastie nobili tedesche; Catgorie:Famille noble allemande; : ; : ; Categoria:Famlias nobres da Alemanha; Kategori:Adelsslgter fra Tyskland; : ; : ; : ; Th loi:Gia nh qu tc c; Kategorio:Nobelaj familioj de Germanio; Categoria:Famlias nobres da Alemanha; Category:German noble faimilies; Kategori:Keluarga bangsawan Jerman; Kategori:Tyske adelsfamiliar; : ; Kateqoriya:Almaniya zadgan aillri; Kategori:Tyska adelstter; Categorie:Duits adellijk huis; Kategori:Tyske fyrstehus; Kategori:Alman hanedanlar; Category:German noble families; : ; : ; Category:; categora de Wikimedia; Wikimedia-flokkur; ; kategori Wikimedia; Wikimedia category page; ; Vikimedya kategorisi; ; kategrie Wikimedie; ; ; Wikimedia-Kategorie; ; ; kategorija na Wikimediji; :; page de catgorie d'un projet Wikimedia; kategorija na Wikimediji; ; ; Wikimedia-Kategorie; Wikimedia-kategori; kategori Wikimdia; ; pajenn rummata eus Wikimedia; Wikimedia:; ; Wikimedia ; categora de Wikimedia; Kategorie op Wikimedia; ; tudalen categori Wikimedia; kategori e Wikimedias; ; ; Wikimedia-kategori; :; ; categoria Wikimedia; ; ; categoria Vicimediorum; Vikipidiya:Shopni; Wikimedia-luokka; Wikimedia category page; gurhi Vikimedia; ; ; catigura di nu pruggettu Wikimedia; ; Wikimedia:Kategorija; Wikimedia-Kategorie; ; ; categorie a unui proiect Wikimedia; ; Wikimedia-kategori; kawan Wikimdia; ; ; Wikimedia-blkur; kategorio en Vikimedio; kategori Wikimedia; categora de Wikimedia; ; kategori Wikimedia; ; kategorija w projektach Wikimedije; th loi Wikimedia; Wikimedia projekta kategorija; Wikimedia-kategorie; categoria de um projeto da Wikimedia; ; ; Wikimedia-kategori; kategori Wikimedia; ; Wikimedia category; Vikimdia emohenda; Wikimdia-kategria; ; Wikimediako kategoria; ; Wikimedia-Kategorie; Kategoriya ning Wikimedia; Wikimedia-kategorie; Wkmediya:Kategor; ; Wikimedia-Kategorie; ; Wikimedia-categorie; ; ; categoria de Wikimedia; ; Wikimedia-categorie; Wikimedia-kategoriija; ; ; ; Wikimedia:Ronnaghys; categoria di un progetto Wikimedia; Wikimedia-categorie; kategoria projektu Wikimedia; Wikimedia-kategory; Wikimedia kategooria; ; Wikimedia:Klassys; ; categura 'e nu pruggette Wikimedia; ka Wikimedia; kategorya ng Wikimedia; categoria de um projeto da Wikimedia; ; Wikimedia-Kategorie; tumbung Wikimedia; ; kategorija Wikimedije; Wikimedia proyektnda trkem; kategorie na projektech Wikimedia; Wikimedia-Kategorie; kategori Wikimedia; jamii ya Wikimedia; ; ; kategori Wikimedia; Vikimedia kateqoriyas; : ; kategoria ti Wikimedia; categora de Wikimedia; Wikimedia category; Wikimedia; Vicimid catagir , Billerbeck (westflische Adelsgeschlechter), Aufschwrungstafel ders Hedwig von Oberg.png, Blason des barons von Mayenfisch zu Rappenstein.jpg, Familie Bertram Grafen von Nimcz zu Caldaha 1940.jpg, Familienwappen romberg kapelle wischlingen.jpg, Sceau de Dietrich de Weitenmhle (1398).png, Sceau de Nicolas Speck de Weitenmhle (1382).png, Sceau de Stislas de Weitenmhle (1382).png, Sceau de Wenceslas de Weitenmhle (1415).png, Stemmi dei cavalieri nel palazzo della carovana 309 Francesco Berner dalla Brisgovia (Germania), 1562.jpg, The baronial coat of arms of von Hochberg dynasty from a Royal bohemian diploma at 23 September 1650.png, Tbingen - Ansicht mit Eberhardsbrcke, Wappen von Kreckwitz (Kupferstich 1H19Jh. Today, German nobility is no longer conferred by the Federal Republic of Germany (1949present), and constitutionally the descendants of German noble families do not enjoy legal privileges. (For a modern example, think of the Earl. 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. 48. If you dont find your German Family Name here we may have it but not have added it to this page yet. get in touch using the enquiry form in the sidebar, contact our Geneva office directly between 10.00-19.00, Monday to Friday on, I consent to my data being stored in line with your, Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F026160-0002A / Grfingholt, Detlef / CC-BY-SA 3.0. 2. Regensburg, Germany: Georg Joseph Mainz, 1860-1866. Contact the Profile Managers privately: Public Comments: In this instance, zu is the German word for at, and suggests a noble family being resident at a particular place, usually a country estate, family seat or inherited region. Happy to share but I find WikiTree difficult. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. and there were a lot of family stories about goings on at Windsor Palace (Castle). [3] an exceptional practice regarding surnames borne by former members of the nobility: whereas the gender differentiation in German surnames, widespread until the 18th century and colloquially retained in some dialects, was abolished in Germany with the introduction of officially registered invariable surnames by the late 19th century, former noble titles transformed into parts of the surname in 1919 continue to appear in female and male forms.[4]. Johann Siebmacher (Begr. In special cases, for example when a family is about to die out or when a daughter inherits the family estate and marries a commoner, the Adelsrechtsausschuss can grant a dispensation from Salic law, allowing for a one-time transfer of a noble surname contrary to nobiliary law, to a person considered non-noble. In addition, the ruling families of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen were accorded the dynastic rights of a cadet branch of the Royal House of Prussia after yielding sovereignty to their royal kinsmen. The titles do, however, retain prestige in some circles of society. This page was last edited on 29 December 2022, at 15:19. 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. Only the more important of these titles, historically associated with degrees of sovereignty, remained in use by the 19th century, specifically Markgraf and Landgraf. 42. Until the late 19th century, for example, it was usually forbidden for nobles, theoretically on pain of Adelsverlust, to marry persons "of low birth". 3. 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). 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 In this, the German language practice differs from Dutch in the Netherlands, where the particle van is usually capitalised when mentioned without preceding given names or initials, or from Dutch in Belgium, where the name particle Van is always capitalised. A Reichsgraf was a nobleman whose title of count was conferred or confirmed by the Holy Roman Emperor, and meant "Imperial Count", i.e., a count of the Holy Roman Empire. 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. Governments which recognised or conferred nobility were the Holy Roman Empire (962-1806), the German Confederation (1814-1866) and the German Empire (1871-1918). Other counts, as well as barons (Freiherren), lords (Herren), knights (Ritter)[c] were borne by noble, non-reigning families. Landgraf, Markgraf, Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine), Burggraf, Wildgraf, Waldgraf, Altgraf, Raugraf, etc. 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. 13.Gilbert (Norman origin) is among very common names which means 'noble youth', 'bright and famous'. Enzo. Armani For example, in the British nobility, a Duke of Norfolk may be simply referred to as Norfolk by his peers in government or within the royal court. Login to post. [3] In Austria, its use is banned by law, as with all hereditary titles and nobiliary particles. 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Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. The shortened form of the Italian name Lorenzo, this spunky and cute moniker means home ruler.. With a meaning of "forest," this name typically applied to lumbermen. WebBelow are just some of the German Family Names (German Surnames) that we have on file. Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Originated as a name for the steward of a large farm. Those who had been quasi-sovereign until German mediatisation retained, until 1918, status and privileges pertaining to members of reigning dynasties. Upon promulgation of the Weimar Constitution on 11 August 1919, all Germans were declared equal before the law. It also has Irish roots and is derived from the word lainn, that means handsome. Most Common Surnames In Germany : #. Surname. 1. Mller. 2. Schmidt. 3. Schneider. Schild von Roth und Silber gespalten und darber eine schwarze Zwergstrasse or Mauer mit vier Zinnen, in Siebmacher already several coats of arms under, General works on the knighthood in Bavaria, Maximilian J. Kraus Die Familie des Ulrich Jung, Medicus und Duzfreund der Deutschen Kaiser, Baierns alte Grafschaften und Gebiete als Fortsetzung von Baierns Gauen, Die Familie Notthafft auf Spurensuche im Egerland, in Bayern und Schwaben, Scheiblersches Wappenbuch mit bayrischen Wappen in den Commons, Bertschi, Nikolaus: Wappenbuch besonders deutscher Geschlechter - BSB Cod.icon. 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. Any dynast who did not reign prior to 1918 but had held a specific title as heir to one of Germany's former thrones (e.g., Erbprinz ("hereditary prince"))along with any heir to a title of nobility inherited via primogeniture, and their wiveswere permitted to incorporate those titles into elements of the personal surname. 41. Higher-ranking noble families of the Niederer Adel bore such hereditary titles as Ritter (knight), Freiherr (or baron) and Graf. 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. 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. "von der" or von dem "vom" ("of the"), zu der "zur" or zu dem "zum" ("of the", "in the", "at the"). Subject class number 943 D65da. If learning about the background to these German names and their titles has piqued your interest about acquiring a prestigious Noble Title of your own get in touch using the enquiry form in the sidebar or you can contact our Geneva office directly between 10.00-19.00, Monday to Friday on +41 225 181 360. There are many popular surnames across multiple cultures that mean wolf. So, in terms of German surnames, the appearance of Von in a name can often indicate that the bearer is of noble origin. The following sources are of particular interest in Germany: The FamilySearch Library has collected many armorial and heraldry books. (FS Library book 943D22h; film 491,136 online. The families are listed alphabetically by surname. In some instances, a surname can include both the Von and Zu prefix, indicating that a person or family has descended from that area and are still the current occupants or residents of the estate. However, with few exceptions, this did not apply to higher nobility, who largely continued to marry among themselves. FS Library International 943 B4da v. 2. WebThe German nobility (German: deutscher Adel) was a class of persons which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other members of society under the laws and customs of In the eighteenth century, many burgher families had coats-of-arms that they recorded with the appropriate government agencies. Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "countess"). A periodical regarding German Nobility which is available at the FamilySearch Library is Deutsches Adelsblatt.