Rosenbach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

The name Rosenbach comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames; so as to remain distinct from the many others of the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from," which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Rosenbach was a name for some one lived beside roses by a stream. Rosenbach is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Rosenbach family

The surname Rosenbach was first found in the Rhineland, 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 savage tribal and national conflicts, with each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Rosenbach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosenbach research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1502, 1637, 1643 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Rosenbach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosenbach 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 Rosenbach include Rosenbach, Rosbach, Roesbach, Rosebach, Rosenback, Rosback, Roesback, Roseback, Rosenbacher, Rosenbacker, Rosenbecker, Rosenbecher, Rosenbech and many more.

Early Notables of the Rosenbach family

Notables with the name Rosenbach during this period were

Johann Melchior Rosenbach, who was the Bishop of Wuerzburg from 1637 to 1675

Rosenbach migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Rosenbach were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Rosenbach Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Rosenbach, who sailed to America in 1709

Rosenbach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Rosenbach, who arrived in America in 1849 1
Wilh Rosenbach, who arrived in America in 1853 1
Isaac Rosenbach moved to Philadelphia in 1863
John Rosenbach, aged 20, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1873 1
Anton Rosenbach, who arrived in Brazil in 1874 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rosenbach (post 1700) +

Anton Julius Friedrich Rosenbach (1842-1923), German physician and microbiologist, eponym of Rosenbach's disease

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)