Ahlers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Germany

The surname Ahlers is an occupational surname, derived from the Old German roots adel, which means noble, and mann, which means man. The surname identifies the bearer as a member of the nobility, which makes this a surname of office. This surname is associated with Swabia, a region in the southwest of Germany. The place name survives today only as the name for a mountain range running across the region where Swabia used to be. In the 1st century, Swabia was settled by the tribe of the Sueben who came from central Germany, and drove the Celts to Gaul (France). The Sueben prince Ariovist was defeated by Caesar in battle at Mulhouse, Alsace in 58 BC. Following the end of the Roman era, the Germanic Alemans from the north and the Bajuvaren from the east entered the region between 300 and 500 AD. They were in turn defeated by the Franks under Clovis in 496. The whole kingdom became eventually known as Alemannia. The dukedom of Swabia, formed in the 10th century, was ruled by the Hohenstaufen family from 1079, until they died out in 1268, when the counts of Wuerttemberg took control. Two other imperial dynasties also came from Swabia: theHapsburgs and the Hohenzollerns, who were the Kings of Prussia and the last German emperors until 1918. Today, the area is called Baden-Württemberg.

Early Origins of the Ahlers family

The surname Ahlers was first found in Swabia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region, whose family seat lay in the area of Ellwangen. Chronicles mention this family as early as 878, though the first individual to be recorded was Seyfried von Adelmannsfelden in 1236.

The variation Adel is known as early as 1189 where chronicles mention Adelo, a minister in Eichstaett. 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 Ahlers and Aler(s) variants were patronymic having been derived from "adal-hari," or "adel-leger." 1

Early History of the Ahlers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ahlers research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1687, 1728, 1790 and 1805 are included under the topic Early Ahlers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ahlers Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Adelmann, Adelman, Adellman, Adellmann, Adelmanns, Adellmanns and many more.

Early Notables of the Ahlers family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ahlers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ahlers Ranking

In the United States, the name Ahlers is the 8,511^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Ahlers migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ahlers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anna Ahlers, who arrived in North America in 1832 3
Herrn Jos Ahlers, who landed in America in 1836 3
Wilhelm Ahlers, aged 40, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 3
Herrn Ahlers, who landed in America in 1841 3
Joh Heinr Ahlers, who arrived in America in 1841 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ahlers migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ahlers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Helena Ahlers, (b. 1846), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd December 1870 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Ahlers (post 1700) +

Daniel Paul "Dan" Ahlers (b. 1973), American politician, Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
John Ahlers, American sports announcer for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League
Anny Ahlers (1907-1933), German actress and singer
Keith Ahlers (b. 1955), English racecar driver

Citations +

Debrabandere, Frans Verklarend woordenboek van de familienamen in België en Noord-Frankrijk Grondig Herziene Uiitgave, 1993. Digital
"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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html