Show ContentsLandwehr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The long history of the distinguished surname Landwehr begins in Germany, where the name originated. The name is derived from the Middle High German "lantwer," meaning "one who protects the land," and refers to a guard living at the border trench. It is likely that the progenitor of the name was someone who was employed as a border watchman.

Early Origins of the Landwehr family

The surname Landwehr was first found in Swabia, where its earliest records have been found. The first known bearer of the name was Lantwerer of Vorbachzimmern, who was recorded in "Das alteste Burgerbuch der Stadt Hornberg" in 1311. The Landwehr family established its ancestral home in Swabia during this formative period, and quickly became prominent in the region, figuring prominently in the area's early history and contributing greatly to the development of medieval Swabian society.

Early History of the Landwehr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Landwehr research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1311, 1530, 1657 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Landwehr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Landwehr Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Landwehr, Landtwehr, Landwer, Landtwer, Landwerer, Landwehrer, Landwerlen, Landtwehrlen and many more.

Early Notables of the Landwehr family

Notables of the time with the name Landwehr included

  • Arend Landwehr (c.1657), a painter from northwest Germany, and Bruder Matthaus Landwehrling (c.1683), prior of the Dominican Priory in Freiburg

Landwehr Ranking

In the United States, the name Landwehr is the 10,338th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Landwehr migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Landwehr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Adelheid Landwehr, who landed in America in 1825 [2]
  • Heinr Adolph Landwehr, who landed in America in 1833 [2]
  • Joh Heinr Landwehr, who arrived in Missouri in 1834 [2]
  • William Landwehr, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1842 [2]
  • Gerh Heinr Landwehr, who arrived in America in 1846 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Landwehr Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Franz Landwehr, aged 17, who landed in America from Tanberrettas, Germany, in 1906
  • Franziska Landwehr, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Nemenkircher, Germany, in 1907
  • Julie Landwehr, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Nemenkircher, Germany, in 1907
  • Haver Landwehr, aged 15, who immigrated to the United States from Stuppech, Germany, in 1910
  • Clara Landwehr, aged 18, who landed in America from Mergentheim, Germany, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Landwehr (post 1700) +

  • Brenda Landwehr, American politician, Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives
  • Carl E Landwehr, American head of the computer security section of the Naval Research Laboratory
  • Frank Landwehr, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1960; Socialist Labor Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Oakland County 3rd District, 1961 [3]
  • Wilma Landwehr (b. 1913), German politician


  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. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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