Show ContentsAmbruster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Ambruster family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Ambruster is for a arbalester, a person who either built or operated a 12th century variation of the medieval European crossbow named "arbalest." Derived from the Medieval French term, it actually dates back to Roman times when the crossbow was referred to as a "arcuballista."

Early Origins of the Ambruster family

The surname Ambruster was first found in Norfolk, where they held a family seat after 1066.

Early History of the Ambruster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ambruster research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1140, 1198, 1273, 1278, 1296, 1565, 1567, 1624, 1640 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Ambruster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ambruster Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ambruster have been found, including Arblaster, Arblast, Alablaster, Alabaster, Allblaster, Arbalistrius, Arbalistarius, Albalistarius, Arbelestre, Aleblaster, Allyblaster, Arbalister, Arbelaster and many more.

Early Notables of the Ambruster family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Geoffrey Arbalister, a prominent 12th century landholder in Essex; and William Alabaster (also Alablaster, Arblastier) (1567-1640), an English poet...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ambruster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Ambruster migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ambruster were among those contributors:

Ambruster Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christophel Ambruster, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 1
Ambruster Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lorenz Ambruster, aged 29, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 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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