Show ContentsAachen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Aachen 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 Aachen family originally lived in the German town named Aachen. Aachen comes from the Latin word Aquisgranum, meaning place of water and grain. There were numerous towns named Aachen in Arnsberg and Wiesbaden. There was also an ancient city named Aachen, which was originally called Aix-la-Chappelle by the French, and founded by the Romans. In the 8th century, Charlemagne built his palace at Aachen and the city became the place where numerous kings and emperors were coronated. It also became a center of culture and learning. Aachen is a habitation name, which is one of the categories of surnames that were derived from place-names. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Aachen family

The surname Aachen was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. The name originates from the ancient city of Aachen, named Aix-la-Chappelle by the French, which was founded by the Romans. Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, built his palace here in the 8th century, and the city was not only the place of coronation for many kings and emperors, but also a center of culture and learning.

Early History of the Aachen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aachen research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1816 is included under the topic Early Aachen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aachen 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 Aachen include Aachen, Achen, Achenn, Aachner, Aachener, Aken, Ache and many more.

Early Notables of the Aachen family

Notables of the period with the name Aachen were

  • Ewald von Aachen (d. 1816) who was an officer of the English-German legion, who died in London


United States Aachen 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:

Aachen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna M Aachen, who landed in North America in 1832 [1]


  1. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook