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![Show Contents]() Allentorffer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany
The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Allentorffer. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname found in the Rhineland was the local name, a name taken on from a place-name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of a village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Allentorffer was given to someone who lived any of many places called Allendorf in Germany, such as the town of Allendorf the district of Giesseen, in Hesse, Germany. Early Origins of the Allentorffer familyThe surname Allentorffer was first found in Rhineland, where they had become established in the Middle Ages. Early History of the Allentorffer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allentorffer research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Allentorffer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Allentorffer Spelling VariationsIn the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Allentorffer include Alendorf, Allendorff, Alenndorf, Alenndorff, Allendorfs, Allendorfer, Alendorfer, Allendorffer, Alenndorfer, Allendorffer, Allentorf, Allentorff, Allentorffer, Allendorp, Allendorper and many more. Early Notables of the Allentorffer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Allentorffer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Allentorffer familyThe 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 the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Allentorffer, or one of its variants above: Elis Allendorf arrived in America in 1836; George Allendorf settled in Philadelphia in 1864; Anna, Barbara, Elisabeth, Georg, Johannes and Peter Allendorf all of whom arrived in New York City in 1876.
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