Show ContentsEllenberger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished German surname Ellenberger is of several different possible origins. Firstly, the name may be derived from "Ellen," the name of two towns in Germany; in this case, the name might have been initially borne by a native of Ellen who had settled in another city. Alternatively, the name is derived from the Old High German "elina," which refers to a tailor's measure; in this instance, it is likely that the progenitor of the name was a tailor or a cloth merchant. Finally, the name may be derived from the Germanic "aljan," meaning "strength" or "prowess."

Early Origins of the Ellenberger family

The surname Ellenberger was first found in Swabia, where in medieval times the Ellenbach family was closely associated with important social and political advancements of the region's feudal society. The origins of the name make it likely that several branches of the Ellenberger family emerged independently in different regions during the Middle Ages. The first known bearer of the name was Ulrich Ellinson, who was recorded in documents dated 1276. The young Ellenberger family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Ellenberger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellenberger research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1695, 1812, 1835 and 1887 are included under the topic Early Ellenberger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellenberger Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ellenbach, Elnbach, Ellnbach, Elenbach, Ellenback, Ellnback, Elenback, Ellenbacker, Ellnbacker, Elnbacker, Ellenbacher, Ellnbacher, Elnbacher, Ellenbeck, Elnbeck, Elenbeck, Ellnbeck, Ellenpach, Elnpach, Elenpach, Ellnpach, Ellenpacher, Elenpacher, Elnpacher, Ellenburg and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellenberger family

Notables with the surname Ellenberger during this period were

  • Johan Karel Ellenberger (d. 1695), an army major general from the Netherlands, Clementine Ellenberger (1812-1887), a well-known actress, and the Ellenbergers (c.1835), a family of missionaries living...

Ellenberger Ranking

In the United States, the name Ellenberger is the 13,534th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Ellenberger migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ellenberger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Ellenberger, who landed in America in 1732 [2]
  • Nicolaus Ellenberger, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1739 [2]
  • Peter Ellenberger, who landed in America in 1749 [2]
  • Ulrich Ellenberger, who landed in America in 1749 [2]
  • Albrecht Ellenberger, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1749
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ellenberger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Christian Ellenberger and his wife Anna E. Blickensdoerfer, who came from the Palatinate to Ohio in 1833 with their daughter Anna Maria
  • Barbara Ellenberger, who arrived in America in 1833 [2]
  • Christian Ellenberger, who landed in Ohio in 1833 [2]
  • Abraham Ellenberger and his wife Katharina Eicher, who emigrated from the Palatinate to Iowa in 1850 with their five children
  • Heinrich Ellenberger, who arrived in Iowa in 1850 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ellenberger Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Adolf Ellenberger, who arrived in America in 1923 [2]

New Zealand Ellenberger migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ellenberger Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Jacob Ellenberger, (b. 1837), aged 26, German baker, from Germany travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 [3]
  • Miss Maria Ellenberger, (b. 1839), aged 24, German domestic servant, from Germany travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Ellenberger (post 1700) +

  • Norman Dale Ellenberger (1932-2015), American football, basketball, and baseball player and head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball team from 1972 to 1979
  • Jacob Steven Ellenberger (b. 1985), American mixed martial artist
  • John Ellenberger, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Iowa State House of Representatives from Davis County, 1950 [4]
  • H. R. Ellenberger, American Republican politician, Chair of Burt County Republican Party, 1940 [4]
  • Jules Ellenberger (1871-1973), South African Imperial civil servant
  • Henri F. Ellenberger (1905-1993), South African-born, Canadian psychiatrist, medical historian, and criminologist, often referred to as the founding historiographer of psychiatry
  • Paul Ellenberger, author and minister from Lesotho


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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