Show ContentsAlbach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Albach. When hereditary surnames were adopted in this region, after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities were quite common. These "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 use of the preposition has often long since been dropped from use. The Albach family originally lived in one of the many towns named Albach.

Early Origins of the Albach family

The surname Albach 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. Thomas de Albatia, originally of Spanish descent, is known as the founding ancestor of the family who lived in the 8th century.

Early History of the Albach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Albach research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Albach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Albach 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 Albach include Abachsen, Abachson, Abbachsen, Abacksen, Albachen, Albachsen, Albach and many more.

Early Notables of the Albach family

Notables of the period with the name Albach were

  • Cuno von Albachsen, who was a well-known soldier around 889...


United States Albach 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:

Albach Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Morris Albach, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [1]
  • Catherine Albach, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 [1]
  • Elizabeth Margaret Albach, who landed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1772 [1]
Albach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Albach, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1848 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Albach (post 1700) +

  • R Greg Albach (b. 1973), American actor
  • Stephanie Albach, American actress best known as the Female lead in "Handcart" (2002)
  • Peter Albach (b. 1956), German politician of the Christian Democratic Union and mayor of Weissensee, Thuringia since 1990
  • Hester Albach (b. 1953), Dutch screenwriter
  • Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (1938-1989), birth name of Romy Schneider, the German film actress


  1. 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)


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