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Westfall History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Westfall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The name Westfall comes from the German region of Westphalia. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to Germany after the 12th century, and the names of places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from". It originally indicated land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Westfall family originally lived in Westphalia. The original bearer of this name was born in Westphalia, but acquired the name Westfall after migrating to a different German territory. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Westfall family

The surname Westfall was first found in Westphalia and 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 Westphalen became prominent in local affairs, and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought power in a constantly changing territorial profile. The oldest branch of the family can be traced to the ducal house von Billung, which dates back to 960. From very early on the family emigrated to Pomerania and Mecklenburg, and chronicles first mention the individuals Egbert Westfal of Stralsund in 1294 and Johann Westfeleke of Greifswald in 1350.

Early History of the Westfall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westfall research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1531, 1532, 1602, 1726, 1754, 1778, 1780, 1789, 1792, 1805, 1807, 1809, 1818, 1833, 1856 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Westfall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Westfall 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 Westfall include Westphall, Westphal, Westfehling, Fehling, Westfahl, Westfeleke (Silesia), Westphalen, Westfall, Westfalen and many more.

Early Notables of the Westfall family

Notables of the period with the name Westfall were many prominent descendents of the House von Billung line. They include Clemens August Wilhelm von Westphalen (1726-1778), Privy Councellor at Hildesheim and Paderborn, his son Clemens August Wilhelm (1754-1818), Grand Prior of the St. Johann Order of Knights, who became Count of the castle at Friedberg, and his...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Westfall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Westfall Ranking

In the United States, the name Westfall is the 3,002^nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Westfall migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Westfall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Juriaen Westfall, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 2

Westfall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicholas Westfall, aged 92, who arrived in New York in 1745-1746 2
Jacob Westfall who went to New York in 1771
Jacob Westfall, aged 77, who landed in New York in 1771 2
Friedrick Oldwick Westfall, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 2
John Westfall, who arrived in Frederick County, Maryland in 1795 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Westfall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Westfall went to San Diego in 1870 at the age of 39

Westfall migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Westfall Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elly Westfall went to Ontario in 1825

Contemporary Notables of the name Westfall (post 1700) +

Thomas D. Westfall (1927-2005), American FBI Special Agent and politician, Mayor of El Paso, Texas (1979-1981)
James Westfall (b. 1981), American jazz vibraphonist and guitarist
Gary D. Westfall (b. 1950), American experimental nuclear and high energy physicist and University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University
Richard S. Westfall (1924-1996), American academic, biographer and historian of science, best known for his biography of Isaac Newton
George "Buzz" Westfall (1944-2003), American lawyer and politician, 6th County Executive of St. Louis County (1991–2003)
Robert Barton "Bullet Bob" Westfall (1919-1980), American football fullback, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987
L. M. Westfall, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 10th District, 1874-75 3
George Westfall, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1996 3
Daniel M. Westfall, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County 1st District, 1884, 1886 3
Craig L. Westfall, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 2008 3
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Westfall Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fais que dois, arrive que pourra
Motto Translation: Do you duty, come what may.

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 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html