Show ContentsFranzman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Franzman is a ancient German name that originated in the Rhineland. While the Germans at first used only one name, population increases created confusion among people of the same name, forcing them to adopt hereditary surnames. Two common types of German names are patronymic names, taken from the given name of the father, and metronymic names, taken from the name of the mother. Franzman was derived from the baptismal name for the son of Franciscus. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, theChristian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. This was the case with the surname Franzman.

Early Origins of the Franzman family

The surname Franzman was first found in the Rhineland, where the family emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Franzman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Franzman research. Another 194 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1713, 1780, 1815, 1827 and 1892 are included under the topic Early Franzman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Franzman Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Franzman include Franz, Frantz, Frants, Frannz, Franntz, Frannts, Frantzen, Fraenzel, Frenzel, Frentz, Frenz and many more.

Early Notables of the Franzman family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Franzman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Franzman migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Franzman, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Franzman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jacob Franzman, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1880 [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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook