Show ContentsHandler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

German surnames developed at a time when most of the German provinces were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Germany. Two of the common types of family names found in Germany are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Handler derived from a number of Germanic personal names, such as Heinrich, Hantbert, Hantwin and Handolf.

Early Origins of the Handler family

The surname Handler was first found in Silesia, where this family made important contributions toward the development of this district from ancient times. Always prominent in social and political affairs, the family formed alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Handler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Handler research. Another 315 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1474, 1496, 1550, 1560, 1579, 1591, 1615, 1685, 1697, 1759 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Handler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Handler Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Handel, Haendel, Hendel, Handle, Handele, Handell, Haendle, Haendele, Haendell, Hendle, Hendele, Hendell, Haehndel, Hehndel, Handl, Haendler, Handler and many more.

Early Notables of the Handler family

Notables of the period with the surname Handler were Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759), who was recognized in England and by many in Germany as the greatest composer of his time. Today he is known as one of the two supreme masters of the Baroque era...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Handler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Handler Ranking

In the United States, the name Handler is the 13,275th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Handler family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jacob Hendel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1748. Johannes Hendel arrived in 1752; while Friedrich Hendel arrived in 1776. John Adam Handel came to Philadelphia in 1773. George Handel settled in New York in 1822.


Contemporary Notables of the name Handler (post 1700) +

  • Philip Handler (1917-1981), American nutritionist and biochemist awarded the National Medal of Science in 1981
  • Lester Handler, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1980 2


The Handler Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fest im handel ohne wandel
Motto Translation: Festival in the trade without change


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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