Show ContentsRodenbeck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the distinguished German surname Rodenbeck lie in the northern province of Schleswig-Holstein. The name is derived from "Rodenbach," the name of several places in Germany, which is itself derived from the Old High German "roden," meaning "to clear," and "bach," meaning "stream." It is likely that the progenitor of the surname was a native of the town of Rodenbach who had moved to another city and was therefore referred to as "Rodenbeck."

Early Origins of the Rodenbeck family

The surname Rodenbeck was first found in Schleswig-Holstein, where the name was most common, particularly in the city of Hamburg. The earliest known bearer of the name was Herman Rodenbeke, who was a resident of the city of Greifswald in 1330. The young Rodenbeck family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of the medieval society of Schleswig-Holstein.

Early History of the Rodenbeck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rodenbeck research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1633, 1786 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Rodenbeck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rodenbeck Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rodebach, Radabaugh, Rodebaugh, Rodenbaugh, Rodenbach and many more.

Early Notables of the Rodenbeck family

More information is included under the topic Early Rodenbeck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rodenbeck family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Johann Peter Rodebach, who emigrated from the Palatinate to Philadelphia in 1752; Jacob Radaback, who settled in Philadelphia in 1754; George Rodebach, who was naturalized in Pennsylvania in 1762.


Contemporary Notables of the name Rodenbeck (post 1700) +

  • Adolph Julius Rodenbeck (1862-1960), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Monroe County 2nd District, 1899-1901; Mayor of Rochester, New York, 1902-03 1
  • Max Rodenbeck, American journalist and author for The Economist magazine on Middle Eastern affairs


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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