Show ContentsTiedemann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Tiedemann. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known in Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany, provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Tiedemann family.

Early Origins of the Tiedemann family

The surname Tiedemann was first found in northern Germany, especially Hamburg, where the name acquired prominence for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more recognized as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, elevating their social status through their great contributions to society. Chronicles suggest that the name is a northern German variation of Dietrich or Diederich. Chronicles first mention one Tidemannus (Tidericus) of Hamburg in 1262.

Later, Tiedemann Giese (1480-1550), was Bishop of Kulm was Bishop of Kulm (Chelmno) first canon, later Prince-Bishop of Warmia. He mentored a number of important young scholars, including Copernicus.

Early History of the Tiedemann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tiedemann research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1724, 1812 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Tiedemann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tiedemann 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 Tiedemann include Tiedeman, Tiedmann, Tiedman, Tiedermann, Tiederman, Tidman, Tidmann, Teedman, Teedmen, Teideman, Teidemann, Thiedemann and many more.

Early Notables of the Tiedemann family

Notable figures of the time with the name Tiedemann were

  • Major von Tiedemann, a major of the Prussian army and a teacher at a military school, who was mortally wounded while fighting valiantly in the Russian army during the Napoleonic Wars in 1812

Tiedemann Ranking

In the United States, the name Tiedemann is the 16,314th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Tiedemann migration to the United States +

Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Tiedemann or a variant listed above:

Tiedemann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Heinr Tiedemann, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 [2]
  • Frederick Tiedemann, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1854 [2]
  • Nickolaus Tiedemann, who landed in Iowa in 1866 [2]
  • Nikolaus Tiedemann, who arrived in Iowa in 1866 [2]
  • Peter Tiedemann, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1876 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Tiedemann Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Anna Tiedemann, aged 22, who settled in America from Achtersharn, Germany, in 1905
  • Gerd Tiedemann, aged 26, who landed in America from Laminskvz, Germany, in 1907
  • Ernst Tiedemann, aged 35, who landed in America from Bergedorf, Germany, in 1908
  • Charles Tiedemann, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Hanover, Germany, in 1909
  • Albert Tiedemann, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Sasel, Germany, in 1909
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tiedemann (post 1700) +

  • Mark W. Tiedemann (b. 1954), American science fiction and detective fiction author
  • Albert William Tiedemann (b. 1924), prominent American chemist who was the national vice-president of the Naval reserve Association and won the National Meritorious Service Award (1971)
  • Carlo von Tiedemann (b. 1943), German television presenter
  • Dietrich Tiedemann (1748-1803), German philosopher and historian of philosophy
  • Gustav Nikolaus Tiedemann (1808-1849), German soldier who joined the revolutionaries during the Revolutions of 1848 in Germany, becoming the commander of the last holdout of the revolution, the fortress at Rastatt, son of Friedrich Tiedemann
  • Friedrich Tiedemann (1781-1861), German anatomist and physiologist
  • Heinrich von Tiedemann (1840-1922), Prussian politician, co-founder of the German Eastern Marches Society
  • John George Tiedemann (b. 1927), prominent psychologist and lecturer in Washington DC
  • Andrew Tiedemann (b. 1988), Canadian rugby union player


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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