Walser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

The ancestral home of the Walser family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Walser is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a man who was a young ruler.

Early Origins of the Walser family

The surname Walser was first found in Bavaria, where the name Walser made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early Europe. The name Walser became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Walser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Walser research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1661 is included under the topic Early Walser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Walser 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 Walser include Walser, Walzer, Walsser, Walleser, Walsen, Waltz, Waltzer, Walss, Waelser, Waelzer, Waelsser, Waelleser and many more.

Early Notables of the Walser family

Prominent among members of the name Walser in this period include

the von Walser family of Bavaria

Walser Ranking

In the United States, the name Walser is the 10,145^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Walser migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Walser surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Walser Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Walser, who settled in Virginia in 1635

Walser Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Walser, who settled in Georgia sometime between 1733 and 1783
Andreas Walser, who settled in Georgia sometime between 1733 and 1783
Casper Walser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2

Walser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benedict Walser, who arrived in America in 1849
Josef Walser, who arrived in Illinois in 1854 2
Joseph A Walser, who landed in New York in 1867 2
Konrad Walser, who arrived in Illinois in 1871 2
Konrad Walser and his brother, Ottmar, settled in Illinois in 1871
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Walser Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Adeline Walser, who settled in Illinois in 1928

Contemporary Notables of the name Walser (post 1700) +

Donald Ray Walser (1934-2006), American country music singer
Zebulon V. Walser, American Republican politician, North Carolina State Attorney General, 1897-1900; Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1912 3
John T. Walser Jr., American politician, Mayor of Lexington, North Carolina; Elected 2009 3
Guy O. Walser, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 11th District, 1923 3
Martin Walser (b. 1927), German novelist, satirist, and playwright of the post-war period
Robert Walser (1878-1956), German-speaking Swiss writer
Derrick Walser (b. 1978), Canadian ice hockey defenseman

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, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html