Eichendorf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancestral home of the Eichendorf family is Bavaria. Eichendorf is a local name for a person who lived in Bavaria, where they were a noted presence in the social and cultural life of the area.

Early Origins of the Eichendorf family

The surname Eichendorf was first found in Bavaria, where the family became noted for its many branches within the region, many houses acquiring a status and influence which rivaled that of the landed aristocracy. In their later history some branches were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they distinguished themselves through their contributions to the social, political, and economic developments of the nation. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Heinrich von Eichendorff, who was Governor of Lebus around 1353, and Otto von Eichendorff, who acquired the estate Pilgram between 1485 and 1499, where after his brother Peter von Eichendorff auf Petersdorff took over. It was already known in 1256 that the Eichendorff family possessed extensive and numerous estates.

Early History of the Eichendorf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eichendorf research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1676, 1788 and 1857 are included under the topic Early Eichendorf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eichendorf 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 Eichendorf include Eichendorff, Eichendorf, Eichentorf, Eichendorfer, Eichendoerfer, Eichendoerfler, Eichendoerffler, Eichdorff, Eichdorf, Eichtorf, Eichdorfer, Eichdoerfer, Eichdoerfler, Eichdoerffler, Eichedorff, Eichedorf, Eichetorf, Eichedorfer, Eichedoerfer, Eichedoerfler, Eichedoerffler, Eicherdorff, Eicherdorf, Eichertorf, Eicherdorfer, Eicherdoerfer, Eicherdoerfler and many more.

Early Notables of the Eichendorf family

Prominent among members of the name Eichendorf in this period include

Baron Joseph von Eichendorff (1788-1857), who was a Romantic Silesian poet, renowned for his nature poetry and songs...
Hartwich Erdmann von Eichendorff was appointed royal advisor to the Austrian court in 1676 and was ennobled and given the position district administrator of Troppau...

Eichendorf 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 Eichendorf or a variant listed above:

Eichendorf Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Eichendorf, who arrived in New York in 1884
Justine Eichendorf, who settled in New York in 1884
Johann Eichendorf, who settled in New York in 1884
Jacob Eichendorf, who arrived in New York in 1884
Jacob Eichendorf, aged 4, who arrived in New York, NY in 1884 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)