Show ContentsBalthasar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the distinguished surname Balthasar lie in Austria. The name derives itself from "Balthasar," the name of one of the three Magi who followed the star to Bethlehem, and was popular as both a first name and a family name during the 18th century.

Early Origins of the Balthasar family

The surname Balthasar was first found in Austria, where the name Baltheser was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. The Baldus, Baldes and Baldes were originally pet forms of the variant Balthasar which was the local patron saint and were often found in Rhineland. [1]

Early History of the Balthasar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balthasar research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1656, 1659 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Balthasar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balthasar Spelling Variations

In 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 Balthasar include Baltzer, Balthasar, Balthezer, Balthesser, Ballthasar, Balthazar, Ballthezer, Balz (Pomerania), Baltzel and many more.

Early Notables of the Balthasar family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Balthasar were Thomas Baltzar (1630-1663), a renowned violinist, who achieved fame in London. He was born at Lubeck and settled in England in 1656. "He was the first great violinist that had been heard in England at the time. At the Restoration he...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Balthasar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Balthasar migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Balthasar were

Balthasar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Balthasar, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1733
  • Rieser Balthasar, who arrived in Georgia in 1734 aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" [2]
  • Regula Balthasar, who arrived in Carolina in 1743
Balthasar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Martin Balthasar, who landed in Philadelphia in 1867

Contemporary Notables of the name Balthasar (post 1700) +

  • Wilhelm Balthasar, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 40 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • John Balthasar Brungardt (b. 1958), American Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas
  • Johann Balthasar Bullinger (1713-1793), Swiss landscape artist, portrayer and engraver
  • Balthasar Cordier (1592-1650), Belgian theologian
  • Balthasar Bekker (1634-1698), Dutch theologian
  • Count Balthasar Klossowski de Rola Balthus (b. 1908), French painter


  1. Bahlow, Hans (Edda Gentry trns.)Dictionary of German Names Madison, Wisconsin: Max Kade Institute, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
  2. 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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