Show ContentsLachner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lachner family

The surname Lachner was first found in Franconia, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention "Heinrich in der lachun" in 1280 in Wuerttemberg, "Lachenman" in 1409 in Reutlingen, Burkhart Lachner of Freiburg in 1434, and by 1452 the variation "Lachenmair" was taken on in Leutkirch. "An der Lache" meant literally "by the pond." Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that developing region as they emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Lachner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lachner research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1583, 1594, 1740, 1792, 1793, 1803, 1851, 1863 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lachner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lachner 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 Lachner include Lach, Lache, Lacher, Lachner, Lachemann, Lachmann, Lachman, Lachenmann, Lachenmaier and many more.

Early Notables of the Lachner family

Prominent among members of the name Lachner in this period include

  • Franz Lachner (1803-1890) was a German conductor and composer, and the most eminent member of a remarkable musical family...


United States Lachner migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Lachner surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Lachner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Martin Lachner, (Lackner), (1712), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith"
  • Catharina Barbara Lechner, (Lackner), (b. 1719), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" [1]
  • Nicholas Lachner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1764
  • Nicklas Lachner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1764 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Lachner (post 1700) +

  • Bernard Lachner (b. 1927), American vice-president of Administrative Operations at Ohio State University (1971)
  • Theodor Lachner (1788-1877), German composer
  • Wolfgang Lachner (d. 1518), German book seller (Buchhändler) and publisher from Basel
  • Franz Paul Lachner (1803-1890), German composer and conductor


  1. 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)


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