Au History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Au family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Au is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Au was given to someone who lived in a wooded area, meadow, or pasture. The name stems from the German word Aue, which means woods or meadow. The name von der Aue gained widespread recognition from Hartmann von der Aue, who was a renowned poet of the 12th and 13th centuries. After the 13th century, the name Au became particularly popular in Bavaria, which was the primary location of seven noble families bearing this name. The Au family possessed vast estates and resided in an elegant feudal home in Bavaria. They also played an influential role in the social, economic and political development of the region.

Early Origins of the Au family

The surname Au was first found in Bavaria, where the Auer family name is considered to have made an early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development in Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought political supremacy. The name derives from the German word "Aue," which means meadow or pasture. Hartmann von der Aue ("of or from the meadow") was a renowned poet of the 12th and 13th centuries, and the name von der Aue gained widespread designation for those living in a wooded or pastured area. The name was particularly popular in Bavaria, which was the primary location of seven noble families bearing this name, dating back to the 13th century.

Early History of the Au family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Au research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1502, 1639, 1761 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Au History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Au Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Au include Auer, Auers, Auerr, Auerre, Aur, Aure, Aurr and many more.

Early Notables of the Au family

Prominent among members of the name Au in this period include

Wolfgang Auer von Puelach (d. 1639), who was canon (church official) of Freising

Au Ranking

In the United States, the name Au is the 11,417^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Au migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Au Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Henrich Au, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1764 2
Ludwig Au, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1774 2

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)