Oswalt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

The name Oswalt evolved in ancient Germany in the state of Bavaria. It is a patronymic name. Patronymics are derived from the given name of the father of the bearer. Names derived from the name of the mother of the bearer, which are less common, are called metronymic names. Patronymic names were generally formed from traditional, German given names, rather than the names of saints or biblical figures, as is the custom in many other European cultures. Oswalt comes from a famous king of Northumbria. It was popularized as a first name after King Oswald, who lived in the 7th century, and who traveled from Scotland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. Oswalt had begun to be taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Oswalt family

The surname Oswalt was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Claus Oswald of Wuerttemberg in 1493, and Hans Oschwald in 1392. The name became popular as a first name after King Oswald of Northumbria (d.642 A.D.) traveled from Scottland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. It was taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early History of the Oswalt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oswalt research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1401, 1445, 1744, 1785, 1799, 1801, 1808 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Oswalt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oswalt Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Oswalt include Oswald, Oswalde, Oswaldt, Oswaldte, Oswalt, Oswalte, Ostwald and many more.

Early Notables of the Oswalt family

Prominent among members of the name Oswalt in this period include Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445), who was of knightly birth from Tyrol. A restless and energetic man, he ran away from home at the age of 10 to become a minstrel. He wandered...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oswalt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oswalt Ranking

In the United States, the name Oswalt is the 4,640^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Oswalt migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Oswalts to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Oswalt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Joseph Oswalt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Oswalt (post 1700) +

J. B. Oswalt, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 30th District, 2010 3
Colonel Richard Oswalt Covey (b. 1946), United States Air Force officer, former NASA Astronaut with over 646 hours in space 4

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 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Richard Covey. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/covey-ro.html