Show ContentsZander History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Zander 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. Zander was a name for some one lived beside a rocky cliff. Zander 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 Zander family

The surname Zander was first found in the Palatinate region of the Rhineland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the region, eventually moving north with the Palatinate counts to Duesseldorf in the duchy of Berg. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Zander family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Zander research. Another 245 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1253, 1778, 1823, 1825, 1827, 1829 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Zander History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zander 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 Zander include Zandt, Zand, Zant and others.

Early Notables of the Zander family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Zander Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zander Ranking

In the United States, the name Zander is the 7,927th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Zander 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 Zander were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Zander Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Heinrich Zander, who settled in Carolina or Texas with his wife and three children in 1738
  • Heinrich Zander, who landed in Carolina in 1738 [2]
  • J William Zander, who arrived in New York, NY in 1741 [2]
Zander Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johann Gottfried Zander, who landed in America in 1843 [2]
  • Geo Zander, aged 25, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1850 [2]
  • Gustaf Zander, aged 25, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1850 [2]
  • F P Zander, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [2]
  • Carl Zander, who landed in America in 1871 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Zander Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Klara Zander, who arrived in Chile in 1912 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Zander (post 1700) +

  • Emanuel Zander (b. 1951), American football offensive lineman
  • Carl August Zander Jr (b. 1963), former professional American football linebacker
  • Jack Zander (1908-2007), as an American animator
  • Edward J. Zander (b. 1947), American business executive
  • Robin Wayne Zander (b. 1953), American lead singer and rhythm guitarist
  • Max Zander, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1956 [3]
  • Helmut A. Zander, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 36th District, 1964 [3]
  • Gustav Zander, American politician, Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 3rd Circuit, 1905 [3]
  • Dirk Zander (b. 1965), German football player
  • Adolf Zander (1843-1914), German composer and organist
  • ... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Kuno Zander (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [4]


  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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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