Achenbach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Achenbach. In the German provinces, hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Achenbach 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. Achenbach 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 Achenbach family

The surname Achenbach 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 Achenbach family

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

Achenbach Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Achenbach include Aachen, Achen, Achenn, Aachner, Aachener, Aken, Ache and many more.

Early Notables of the Achenbach family

More information is included under the topic Early Achenbach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Achenbach Ranking

In the United States, the name Achenbach is the 18,368^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Achenbach migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of 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 settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Achenbach Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Achenbach, aged 21, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Matheus Achenbach, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Adam Achenbach, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 2

Achenbach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Achenbach, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1848 2
Joh Kraft Achenbach, who landed in America in 1852 2
Ludwig Achenbach, who arrived in America in 1856 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Achenbach (post 1700) +

Andreas Achenbach (1815-1910), German painter
Timo Achenbach (b. 1982), German footballer
Oswald Achenbach (1827-1905), German painter
Joel Achenbach, American journalist

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)