Altman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The ancestral home of the Altman family is in the German province of Bavaria. Altman is a German nickname surname. Such names came from "eke-names," or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute. The name Altman derives from the High German word "alt" which means "old," and other components which meant "servant." It is also derived from the first name Aldman, which means old man.

Early Origins of the Altman family

The surname Altman was first found in Lower Bavaria, where the name is considered to have made an early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development in Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought power and status in an ever-changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Altman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Altman research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1590 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Altman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Altman 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 Altman include Altmann, Alltman, Altmanns, Altmanne, Alltmanne and others.

Early Notables of the Altman family

Prominent among members of the name Altman in this period include

Christoph Ignaz Altmann, Silesian finance official, who became a knight of the Bohemian nobility in 1706

Altman Ranking

In the United States, the name Altman is the 2,176^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Altman migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Altmans to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Altman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Altman, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 2
Anthon Altman, who settled in Philadelphia in 1749
Wilhelm Altman, who settled in Philadelphia in 1749
Christn Altman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Fred Altman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Altman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S Altman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Joseph Altman, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 2
H Altman, who landed in Arkansas in 1888 2

Altman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Simon Altman, who landed in Colorado in 1904 2
Julius Altman, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 2
Louis Altman, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Altman (post 1700) +

Sidney Altman (1939-2022), Canadian molecular biologist from Montreal, Quebec, Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Chemistry at Yale University, co-recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sidney Altman, American politician, Representative from Maryland 8th District, 1990 3
Robert Mark Altman (1944-2021), American photographer who attended Hunter College at the City University of New York
Robert Alan Altman (1947-2021), American lawyer and video game executive
Scott Douglas "Scooter" Altman (b. 1959), American former test pilot and NASA astronaut with over 1,200 hours in space 4
Benjamin Altman (1840-1913), American art collector and businessman, whose New York department store was considered one of the finest in the world
Robert Altman (b. 1925), American film director, whose feature films include "M*A*S*H"
Irving B. Altman, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly, 1921, 1924; American Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1940 3
E. E. Altman, American politician, Mayor of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1951 3
Diana Altman, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 21st District, 1936; Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 12th District, 1938 3
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Altman family +

Triangle Waist Company

Miss Anna Altman (b. 1895), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 5

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, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Scott Altman. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/altman.html
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire