Gruenwald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Gruenwald. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname created in the Rhineland was the local name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of the village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, was used with local names. The surname Gruenwald was given to someone who lived close to the village green. Gruenwald is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names.

Early Origins of the Gruenwald family

The surname Gruenwald was first found in Rhineland, (Strasbourg) where since ancient times the Grunwald family made significant contributions to the region's feudal society. Subsequently, the family became prominent in local affairs and often merged with other distinguished families, some of whom played important roles in the territorial conflicts of the period.

Early History of the Gruenwald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gruenwald research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1528 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Gruenwald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gruenwald 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 Gruenwald include Gruenwald, Gruenewald, Gruenenwald, Grunewald, Gruenwalt, Grunewalt, Grunenwaldt, Grunewalelt, Grunwald, Grunwaldt and many more.

Early Notables of the Gruenwald family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gruenwald Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gruenwald 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 the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Gruenwald, or one of its variants above:

Gruenwald Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Doris Gruenwald moved to Texas with her husband in 1853
Wilhelm Gruenwald went to New York City in 1854 when he was 19
Moritz Gruenwald came 6 years later, in 1860 at the age of 21

Gruenwald Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joachim Gruenwald, who settled in Scott Co. Iowa in 1902