Degen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Ireland

This ancient surname Degen was originally derived the Middle High German personal name Degen which meant "dagger" or "sword." The Swiss degen was an elongated version of the Swiss dagger, with the same double-crescent shape of the guard about 40 cm (16 in) in length.

Early Origins of the Degen family

The surname Degen was first found in Bavaria, where the root name Degen was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Degen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Degen research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1716 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Degen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Degen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Degen, Degan, Dagen, Degene, Degens and others.

Early Notables of the Degen family

Prominent among members of the name Degen in this period include

the Degen family of Bavaria

Degen Ranking

In the United States, the name Degen is the 17,389^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Degen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Degen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Georg Tilemann Degen, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 2
Anna Maria Hacker Degen, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1737
Johann Degen, who landed in America in 1738 2
Johann Henrich Degen, who arrived in Carolina in 1738 2
Hans Jacob Degen, who arrived in America in 1740 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Degen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Degen, who landed in New York in 1819 2
Carl Degen, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 2
Dorothee Degen, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1849 2
Louise Degen, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1849 2
Georg Degen, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Degen (post 1700) +

Bruce Degen (b. 1945), American illustrator and writer, best known for for illustrating The Magic School Bus series (1986-2006) of children's books
Joseph Degen, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1908 3
Bernice Degen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1980 3
Manfred Degen (1939-2022), German politician, he served in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1990 to 2005
Philipp Degen (b. 1983), Swiss national currently playing football for the German Borussia Dortmund team
Silvije Degen (b. 1942), born in Bjelovar, a Croatian lawyer and politician from Zagreb
Philipp Degen (b. 1983), Swiss national footballer
Frances Degen Horowitz (1932-2021), American developmental psychologist who served as president of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York from 1991 to 2005
Donna Degen Baer, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wexford District, 1961
Degen Elizabeth Ellen Kasper (b. 1989), American beauty pageant holder, Miss Alaska Teen USA in 2006

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html