Aleman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Spain

The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the ancestors of the Aleman surname. Aleman was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, and they often attached the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," to the surname. Often, the use of "von" was a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Aleman was a name for someone who lived in the Rhineland which is derived from the Germanic tribal name Alemanni, which means all the men. The Alemanni, who originally inhabited the Rhineland, played a large role in the early tribal conflicts of the area and they engaged in bitter battles with the Franks for domination of territory. The English variation Aleman is also the name for someone from Germany, derived from the Anglo-Norman French word aleman, which means German, or Allemagne, which means Germany. In some cases, the name may have been from the southern regions of France that border Germany, such as Norman region of Allemagne which was named by the Germanic settlers there, or Alsace-Lorraine. Alman is also a Jewish Ashkenazic surname taken by a widower. In the Middle Ages, the Aleman family played an influential role in the social, economic and political development of the territories of the Rhineland.

Early Origins of the Aleman family

The surname Aleman was first found in the Rhinelands, where the name 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. The name is associated with the Alsace-Lorraine region on the southern French-German border; the Alemanns were the Germanic tribes that anciently inhabited this region.

Early History of the Aleman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aleman research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1662, 1682, 1683, 1691, 1696, 1814 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Aleman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aleman 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 Aleman include Alemann, Allemann, Aleman, Alemand, Allemand, Alemanns, Allemang and many more.

Early Notables of the Aleman family

Notables with the name Aleman during this period were

Johann Martin Alemann, descendant of a Magdeburg noble family, who was ennobled as mayor of this city in 1602, a title recognized in Prussia

Aleman Ranking

In the United States, the name Aleman is the 3,134^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Aleman migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Aleman, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Aleman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Christian Aleman, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1753

Aleman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan Aleman, who landed in America in 1809 2
Roberto Aleman, who arrived in America in 1827 2
Enrique Aleman, who arrived in America in 1827 2
Francisco Aleman, who arrived in Rio de la Plata in 1835 2
Alonso Aleman, who landed in Spanish Main in 1838 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Aleman (post 1700) +

José Braulio Alemán (1864-1930), Cuban Brigadier General in the Spanish-American War
Ricardo Aleman (b. 1977), Mexican-American author and comedian
Raymundo Aleman, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Texas State Senate 26th District, 2004 3
Graciela Aleman, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 101st District, 2000 3
Juan Pablo Villar Aleman (b. 1949), Cuban artist
Eulalio Ríos Alemán (1938-1980), Mexican Olympic swimmer
Consuelo Villalón Alemán (1907-1998), well-known Mexican pianist
Eduardo Aleman, retired Venezuelan professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer
Laura Alemán (b. 1987), Puerto Rican actress, model, and singer
Armando Alemán (1904-1995), Spanish fencer
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html