Show ContentsEdelman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestral home of the Edelman family is Bavaria. Edelman is a local name for a person who lived in Bavaria, where their name Edelman derives from the German words, edel, which means noble, and mann, which means man. This name literally translates to nobleman, which indicates their rank between the knightly and the general classes of the population.

Early Origins of the Edelman family

The surname Edelman was first found in Bavaria, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Edelman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edelman research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1424 is included under the topic Early Edelman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edelman 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 Edelman include Edel, Edelmann, Edellmann, Edellman, Eddelman, Eddelmann, Edelman, Edell and many more.

Early Notables of the Edelman family

Prominent among members of the name Edelman in this period include

  • Edelmann zu Starzhausen, who was the trustee of Vohburg in 1424...

Edelman Ranking

In the United States, the name Edelman is the 6,971st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Edelman migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Edelman or a variant listed above:

Edelman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Adam Edelman, who arrived in America in 1731 2
  • Anna Maria Edelman, aged 54, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Baltasar Edelman, aged 4, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • David Edelman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Anna Maria Edelman, age 54, who was on record in Philadelphia in 1733
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Edelman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Edelman, who landed in Mississippi in 1858 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Edelman (post 1700) +

  • Edmund D. Edelman (1930-2016), American politician, member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1965 to 1974
  • Daniel Joseph "Dan" Edelman (1920-2013), American public relations executive, founder of Edelman, one of the world's largest public relations firms
  • Scott Edelman (b. 1955), American science fiction and fantasy writer and editor
  • Richard Winston Edelman (b. 1954), President and CEO of Edelman Public Relations
  • Randy Edelman (b. 1947), American music composer
  • Murray Edelman (1919-2001), American political scientist
  • Julian Edelman (b. 1986), American NFL player for the New England Patriots
  • Herbert "Herb" Edelman (1933-1996), American actor, two-time nominee for an Emmy Award, best remembered for his role in The Golden Girls
  • Eric S. Edelman (b. 1951), U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (2005-)
  • Gregg Edelman (b. 1958), American movie, television and theatre actor
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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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