First found in central Germany, including Bavaria, Franconia, Hessen, and the Paltinate, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal 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. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. The oldest recorded individual of the many branches of this family was Johann Vogt von Hunolstein, who lived around 1080 and brought the family to the Rhine valley. There, the familie's castle Hunolstein (four miles from Trier) prospered until 1523, when Franz von Sickingen laid the castle to ruins in his feud against the princes of Trier. They then moved into Lorraine where they eventually became counts. The other branches of Franconia and Hessen had divided off even before the 10th century.

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: Johann, Daniel, and Abraham Vogt, all of whom came to America in 1709 with their wives and families. They were the first of over one hundred bearers of this name to arrive in America throughout the next two centuries. Andreas, Caspar, and Catherina came in 1733.

For more information on the last name Vogt, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.