Show ContentsAmbach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The historic German region of Prussia was the original home of the name Ambach. Ambach 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, which often used the prefix "von," meaning "of" or "from," in some cases a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common type of German hereditary surname. Ambach was a name for someone who lived in the lands that formed the powerful German state of Prussia, which at one time was an immense German territory that stretched from France and the Low Countries to the Baltic sea and Poland.

Early Origins of the Ambach family

The surname Ambach was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Ambach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ambach research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1737 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Ambach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ambach 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 Ambach include Ambach, Ammbach, Amback, Ammback, Ambache, Ammbache, Ambacke and many more.

Early Notables of the Ambach family

Notable figures of the time with the name Ambach were

  • Johann Georg Ambach, legal official in Botzen, and his brother, Joachim Anton, lord of the manor Grienfelden, who were ennobled in 1737


United States Ambach migration to the United States +

Much of German history has been shaped by the state of Prussia. It was an enduring military power until after the Second World War. At that time, the state was abolished altogether and its land divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. While some Prussians were content to remain in those countries, others moved away, many of them migrating to North America. They entered the United States mostly through Philadelphia, moving on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others went to Canada, settling on the prairies and in the province of Ontario. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Ambach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Simon Ambach, who arrived in Maryland in 1841 1
  • Johann Ambach, who arrived in America in 1860 1


  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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