Kirst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished surname Kirst is a proud sign of a rich and ancient Austrian ancestry. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Kirst family

The surname Kirst was first found in Austria, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.

Early History of the Kirst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirst research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1775, 1811 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Kirst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirst 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 Kirst include Christ, Crist, Kirst, Kist, Kierst, Kryste, Chryste and many more.

Early Notables of the Kirst family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kirst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirst Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirst is the 17,284^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Kirst 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 Kirst were

Kirst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Kirst, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 [2]

Kirst Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Marie Margarethe Kirst, who arrived in North America in 1850 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirst (post 1700) +

William J. Kirst, American politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Sheboygan County 1st District, 1948 [3]
Robert F. Kirst, American Republican politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Milwaukee County 9th District, 1956 [3]
Gustav Kirst, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1912 [3]
Jutta Kirst (b. 1954), East German retired Olympic female track and field bronze medalist
Hans Hellmut Kirst (1914-1989), German novelist, best remembered as the creator of the "Gunner Asch" series

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, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html