| ![Show Contents]() Goelz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the name Goelz. Goelz was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, often attaching the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from", in some cases as a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Goelz was a name for someone who lived in the town of Golz, in the Rhineland. Goelz is a Habitation name that was originally derived from a place-name. Such names derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Early Origins of the Goelz familyThe surname Goelz was first found in the Rhine region, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The founding father of the Prussian branch was Andreas Grafen von Dinheim, who moved from the Rhine to Poland, where he entered the service of King Boleslaw III. He obtained the estate Golczewo, from which the name Goltz was taken, although it was originally spelt Goltiz and Goltzow. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. They formed many branches mainly in Poland and Brandenburg, and later in Austria. Early History of the Goelz familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goelz research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1661, 1801, 1843, 1870 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Goelz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Goelz Spelling VariationsOne 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 Goelz include Goltz, Golz, Goeltz, Goelz, Goltiz, Goltzow and many more. Early Notables of the Goelz familyAnother 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goelz Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Goelz familyHundreds 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 Goelz, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early: Hans Peter Goltz, who came to Philadelphia in 1749.
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