Pfeffer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Medieval Austria is the noble birthplace of the family name Pfeffer. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Pfeffer family

The surname Pfeffer was first found in Austria, 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 national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Nickel Pfyfer of Liegnitz in 1372, and Hailman der Pfiffer in 1371.

Early History of the Pfeffer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pfeffer research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1590, 1713, 1721, 1797 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Pfeffer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pfeffer Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Pfeffer include Pfeiffer, Pfeifer, Pfeyffer, Pfeyfer and many more.

Early Notables of the Pfeffer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Pfeffer were Johann Babtist Pfeiffer (around 1721), who was administrator for the mines and forges of Achrain, and was knighted in 1721. Ida Laura Pfeiffer (1797-1858) was...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pfeffer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pfeffer Ranking

In the United States, the name Pfeffer is the 7,308^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Pfeffer migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Pfeffer were

Pfeffer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Peter Pfeffer, who landed in New York in 1709 2
Severin Pfeffer, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 2
Michael Pfeffer, who landed in New York in 1715 2
Hans Jacob Pfeffer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
Johan Henrich Pfeffer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1769 2

Pfeffer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Adam Pfeffer, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 2
Katharina Pfeffer, who arrived in Brazil in 1846 2
Sophie Pfeffer, who landed in America in 1847 2
Heinrich Pfeffer, who arrived in Mississippi in 1849 2
Conrad Pfeffer, who arrived in New York in 1850 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Pfeffer (post 1700) +

Susan Beth Pfeffer (b. 1949), American New York Times bestselling author
Monte Pfeffer (1891-1941), American Major League Baseball infielder
Francis Xavier "Big Jeff" Pfeffer (1882-1954), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Edward Joseph Pfeffer (1888-1972), American professional baseball pitcher
Zach Pfeffer (b. 1995), American soccer player
Nathaniel Frederick "Dandelion" Pfeffer (1860-1932), American baseball player
Leo Pfeffer, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Champaign County Democratic Party, 1950 3
C. A. Pfeffer, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 14th District, 1940 3
A. J. Pfeffer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1924 3
Max Pfeffer (1883-1955), highly decorated German General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 2016, March 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html