Pfieffer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Medieval Austria is the noble birthplace of the family name Pfieffer. 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 Pfieffer family

The surname Pfieffer 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 Pfieffer family

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

Pfieffer 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 Pfieffer include Pfeiffer, Pfeifer, Pfeyffer, Pfeyfer and many more.

Early Notables of the Pfieffer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Pfieffer 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 Pfieffer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pfieffer migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pfieffer or a variant listed above:

Pfieffer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Pfieffer, who landed in New York in 1709-1710 1

Pfieffer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Pfieffer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1836 1
Joseph Pfieffer, aged 33, who landed in Missouri in 1840 1
Adam Pfieffer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 1

Citations +

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)