Show ContentsEgbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Similar to many Austrian family names, the distinguished surname Egbert is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Austria were patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Austrian and German patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The name Egbert is derived from the Germanic given name Ogier or Edgar, which both combine elements meaning prosperity and spear.

Early Origins of the Egbert family

The surname Egbert was first found in Austria and southern Bavaria, where the family was anciently associated with the political and religious conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. The family founded numerous branches, many of which acquired manors and estates in surrounding regions, where they contributed to the prosperity of their society. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Heinrich auf dem Egg, who lived in Tyrol around 1297.

Early History of the Egbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Egbert research. Another 323 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1692, 1741, 1760, 1785, 1801 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Egbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Egbert 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 Egbert include Egger, Egg, Eggener, Egener, Eggere, Eggerer, Ecger, Ecgere, Eggen, Egen and many more.

Early Notables of the Egbert family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Egbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Egbert Ranking

In the United States, the name Egbert is the 5,344th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Egbert migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Egbert were

Egbert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • M Cath Egbert, who arrived in America in 1842 2
  • Cath Adelheid Egbert, who arrived in America in 1842 2
  • M Louise Egbert, who landed in America in 1846 2
  • Mr. Egbert, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Canada Egbert migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Egbert Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Anthony Egbert U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Egbert (post 1700) +

  • James Chidester Egbert Jr. (1859-1948), American classical scholar and educator
  • Harry Clay Egbert (1839-1899), American officer in the United States Army
  • Albert Gallatin Egbert (1828-1896), American Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Joseph Egbert (1807-1888), U.S. Representative from New York
  • Sherwood Harry Egbert (1920-1969), American president of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation and Studebaker Corporation
  • Jack Egbert (b. 1983), American Minor League Baseball pitcher
  • Sherwood Harry Egbert (b. 1920), American manufacturing engineer
  • William Egbert (1857-1936), Canadian physician and politician
  • Nicholas Egbert Knight (b. 1866), American Republican politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives, 1913-16, 1931-32 30th District 1913-16, 28th District 1931-32 4
  • Lars Egbert Knutsen (1884-1963), Norwegian shipowner and founder of Lars Knutsen and Sons Limited


  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. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Nicholas Knight. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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