The exiled heirs to Hanover and Nassau eventually regained sovereignty by being allowed to inherit, respectively, the crowns of Brunswick (1914) and Luxembourg (1890). Limit 20 per day. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. 308, Augsburg 1515 - 1650, Wappenbuch des churbayrischen Adels (Copie eines Originals von 1560), Vol. From the Middle Ages, a Graf usually ruled a territory known as a Grafschaft ('county'). 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. Rue du March 7 The comital title of Graf is common to various European territories where German was or is the official or vernacular tongue, including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Alsace, the Baltic states and other former Habsburg crown lands. 3. See the Genealogy section. My grandfather Page-11209 was illegitimate(?) This page has been viewed 52,830 times (0 via redirect). However, in Polish, a wealthy or prominent female relative often passed down her name. Examples: Burgrave of Nuremberg, Burgrave of (Burggraf zu) Dohna-Schlobitten. Means "castle defender." 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. (For a modern example, think of the Earl. This category has the following 200 subcategories, out of 210 total. Enzo. All of the 22 Monarchs below were forced to abdicate in November 1918: The local museum has a letter saying that local girls were forced to go to the palace to entertain the princes and visitors (mainly German Princes). However, dispensations are granted only in the most exceptional cases, as they infringe on the rights of a theoretical future monarch. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. (FS Library book 943D22h; film 491,136 online. 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. (required) The distinguishing main surname is the name following the Graf, or Grfin, and the nobiliary particle if any. 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. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Hugo. The following sources are of particular interest in Germany: The FamilySearch Library has collected many armorial and heraldry books. The title, translated as "count", was generally accepted and used in other countries by custom. In Germany mainly the noble class, gentry, and some burghers (city residents with citizenship rights) were entitled to bear coats-of-arms. In a similar way, the prefix Zu in a German surname can also be an indication of nobility. 119 Royal Family Last Names From Across The World Graf (feminine: Grfin) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". Barrett - German origin. Although most German counts belonged officially to the lower nobility, those who were m Usually a hyphenated suffix indicated which of the familial lands a particular line of counts held, e.g. Popular Surnames Meaning Wolf. Freiherr Mitzis real name and full title is Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber. This excluded marriages with women of the lower social classes, but did not mean a woman had to come from nobility herself. FS Library International 943 B4da v. 2. Means " battle." 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. With a meaning of "forest," this name typically applied to lumbermen. Some minor noble families are not included in any books. "von der" or von dem "vom" ("of the"), zu der "zur" or zu dem "zum" ("of the", "in the", "at the"). Whether Mitzi preferred to play down any noble lineage during the politically fractious period of the mid-20th century, or she simply adopted a more Americanised name to appease Hollywood filmmakers, she opted to be known by a name that didnt reflect or reveal the Von aspect of her surname. Heraldry is the design, use, regulation, and recording of coats-of-arms. This list may not reflect recent changes. Which title do you prefer? German nobility, although not abolished (unlike the Austrian nobility by the new First Austrian Republic in 1919), lost recognition as a legal class in Germany under the Weimar Republic in 1919 under the Weimar Constitution, article 109. [1] Other explanations have been put forward, however; Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, while still noting the potential of a Greek derivation, suggested a connection to Gothic: gagrfts, meaning 'decision, decree'. Graphio is in turn thought to come from the Byzantine title grapheus, which ultimately derives from the Greek verb (graphein) 'to write'. The system of nobility in the former German Empire was similar to the nobility of Austria, as both territories long belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, although the Austrian Republic, unlike Germany's, legally abolished its nobility and banned use of hereditary titles in any form. Other counts, as well as barons (Freiherren), lords (Herren), knights (Ritter)[c] were borne by noble, non-reigning families. "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. Examples: Landgrave of Thuringia, Landgrave of Hesse, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg, Landgrave of Frstenberg-Weitra. 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. [1] The nobility flourished during the dramatic industrialization and urbanization of Germany after 1850. [16] The term Uradel was not without controversy, and the concept was seen by some[who?] Moreno Genealogy & History. WebGerman (also Nbel): in some cases a habitational name from a place so named (Polish Niegowo) near Gdask in Pomeranian Voivodeship Poland. Means "mighty like a bear." Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Although some original records such as grants of nobility still exist, you can often research your noble ancestors by using compiled sources. Each armorial differs from the others and includes different names. 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. This is a quick reference list of German noble families. 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. One reason many German surnames feature the Von or Zu prefixes is that the right to include them in a surname was one of the few remaining aristocratic privileges allowed when the nobility was abolished in Germany in 1919. However, the Grimms preferred a solution that allows a connection to Old English: gerfa 'reeve', in which the ge- is a prefix, and which the Grimms derive from Proto-Germanic *rva 'number'.[2]. Upon promulgation of the Weimar Constitution on 11 August 1919, all Germans were declared equal before the law. [10] Particularly between the late 18th and early 20th century when an increasing number of unlanded commoners were ennobled, the "von" was typically simply put in front of a person's surname. The nobility system of the German Empire was similar to nobility in the Austrian Empire; both developed during the Holy Roman Empire and both ended in 1919 when they were abolished, and legal status and privileges were revoked. 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). Families that had been considered noble as early as pre-1400s Germany (i.e., the Uradel or "ancient nobility") were usually eventually recognised by a sovereign, confirming their entitlement to whatever legal privileges nobles enjoyed in that sovereign's realm. Inv. Most Common Surnames In Germany : #. Surname. 1. Mller. 2. Schmidt. 3. Schneider. In the medieval Holy Roman Empire, some counts took or were granted unique variations of the grfliche title, often relating to a specific domain or jurisdiction of responsibility, e.g. You can try our Family Coat of Arms Search page which would 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. 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. Many German states, however, required a marriage to a woman of elevated social status in order for a nobleman to pass on his titles and privileges to his children. [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. Subject class number 943 D65da. Nobility was inherited equally by all legitimate descendants in the male line. Higher-ranking noble families of the Niederer Adel bore such hereditary titles as Ritter (knight), Freiherr (or baron) and Graf. 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. Regensburg, Germany: Georg Joseph Mainz, 1860-1866. Or if you would like to go one step further than the suggestion of aristocracy, you could officially join the ranks of the noble classes with a genuine noble title. They bore the title "margrave" until the few who survived as sovereigns assumed higher titles when the Empire was abolished in 1806. Geneva, 1204 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. 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. They acquired not only the technical skills but the necessary education in high prestige German universities that facilitated their success. 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. However, these titles became extinct upon their deaths, not being heritable. Hoffmann. For additional resources, do a Place Search for Germany and view the selections under Germany - Nobility, as well as Germany - Genealogy, Germany - Biography, and Germany - Heraldry. This is an occupational surname related to operating a mill (milling). 6. Information on these families constituted the second section of Justus Perthes entries on reigning, princely, and ducal families in the Almanach de Gotha. 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. The compiled sources for German nobility include both published and manuscript genealogies. 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 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. Wilder. Patronymic surnames are names that are passed down from father to child. Login to post. Noble German Surnames & What They Mean - Nobility Titles Untamed and wild is the meaning of this hip name, which has German roots and a long history as a surname that dates back to the 10th century. , and suggests a noble family being resident at a particular place, usually a country estate, family seat or inherited region. [3] In Austria, its use is banned by law, as with all hereditary titles and nobiliary particles. Other forms also exist as combinations with the definite article: e.g. [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. Nobel Name Meaning & Nobel Family History at Ancestry.com 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 Violating these laws could result in temporary or permanent Adelsverlust ("loss of the status of nobility"). as an arbitrary distinction invented by the Kingdom of Prussia. If your ancestor was of the noble class, the following books may help you in your research: Hefner, Otto Titian von. The following 34 files are in this category, out of 34 total. Germany follows Salic law, as most Continental European countries. I have most of these German nobility in my ancestry but not on WikiTree because I can't manage how to go that far back. [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). This List of Bavarian noble families contains all 338 Bavarian aristocratic families named in 1605 by Siebmacher as well as further additions.