Auer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Auer family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, as hereditary surnames began to be adopted, names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Auer is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Auer was given to someone who lived in a wooded area, meadow, or pasture. The name stems from the German word Aue, which means woods or meadow. The name von der Aue gained widespread recognition from Hartmann von der Aue, who was a renowned poet of the 12th and 13th centuries. After the 13th century, the name Auer became particularly popular in Bavaria, which was the primary location of seven noble families bearing this name. The Auer family possessed vast estates and resided in an elegant feudal home in Bavaria. They also played an influential role in the social, economic and political development of the region.

Early Origins of the Auer family

The surname Auer was first found in Bavaria, where the Auer family 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 political supremacy. The name derives from the German word "Aue," which means meadow or pasture. Hartmann von der Aue ("of or from the meadow") was a renowned poet of the 12th and 13th centuries, and the name von der Aue gained widespread designation for those living in a wooded or pastured area. The name was particularly popular in Bavaria, which was the primary location of seven noble families bearing this name, dating back to the 13th century.

Early History of the Auer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Auer research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1502, 1639, 1761 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Auer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Auer Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Auer include Auer, Auers, Auerr, Auerre, Aur, Aure, Aurr and many more.

Early Notables of the Auer family

Prominent among members of the name Auer in this period include

Wolfgang Auer von Puelach (d. 1639), who was canon (church official) of Freising

Auer Ranking

In the United States, the name Auer is the 10,954^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Auer is ranked the 6,893^rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Auer migration to the United States +

The 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 Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Auer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Ulrich Auer, who arrived in Carolina or Pennsylvania in 1734 with his wife Verena Eberhardt and their four children
Hans Auer, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 3
Hans Ulrich Auer, who landed in Carolina in 1734 3
Verena Eberhard Auer, aged 27, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1735 3
Vronegg Auer, who arrived in Carolina in 1743 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Auer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Auer, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1844 3
Joseph Auer, who landed in New York, NY in 1846 3
Melchior Auer, who landed in America in 1848 3
Aloys Auer, who arrived in North America in 1848 3
Maria Auer, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1854 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Auer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Auer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johann Baptist Auer, who arrived in Quebec in 1848

Contemporary Notables of the name Auer (post 1700) +

Joseph "Joe" Auer (1941-2019), American football former running back
Victor Lee "Vic" Auer (1937-1972), American silver medalist sports shooter at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Matthew Auer, American educator, Dean of the Hutton Honors College at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana
Jonathan P. "Jon" Auer (b. 1969), American musician
John F. Auer (1866-1951), American sailor in the United States Navy, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Howard Joseph "Howie" Auer (1908-1985), American NFL football player
Gregory M. Auer (1937-1993), American art director, screenwriter and cameraman, Manager of Special Effects for Warner Brothers Studio
Florence Auer (1880-1962), American theater and motion picture actress
Edward Auer (b. 1941), American classical pianist, first American to win the International Chopin Piano Competition
Karl Auer, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Macassar, 1897 4
... (Another 15 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/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html