Ostwald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

The name Ostwald evolved in ancient Germany in the state of Bavaria. It is a patronymic name. Patronymics are derived from the given name of the father of the bearer. Names derived from the name of the mother of the bearer, which are less common, are called metronymic names. Patronymic names were generally formed from traditional, German given names, rather than the names of saints or biblical figures, as is the custom in many other European cultures. Ostwald comes from a famous king of Northumbria. It was popularized as a first name after King Oswald, who lived in the 7th century, and who traveled from Scotland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. Ostwald had begun to be taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Ostwald family

The surname Ostwald was first found in Bavaria, 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 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. Chronicles first mention Claus Oswald of Wuerttemberg in 1493, and Hans Oschwald in 1392. The name became popular as a first name after King Oswald of Northumbria (d.642 A.D.) traveled from Scottland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. It was taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early History of the Ostwald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ostwald research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1401, 1445, 1744, 1785, 1799, 1801, 1808 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Ostwald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ostwald 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 Ostwald include Oswald, Oswalde, Oswaldt, Oswaldte, Oswalt, Oswalte, Ostwald and many more.

Early Notables of the Ostwald family

Prominent among members of the name Ostwald in this period include Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445), who was of knightly birth from Tyrol. A restless and energetic man, he ran away from home at the age of 10 to become a minstrel. He wandered...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ostwald Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ostwald migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Ostwald or a variant listed above:

Ostwald Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Ostwald, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 1
Heinr Conrad Ostwald, who landed in America in 1779 1
Daniel Ostwald, who arrived in Long Island in 1781 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Ostwald (post 1700) +

Martin Ostwald (1922-2010), German-American classical scholar
Carl Wilhelm Wolfgang Ostwald (1883-1943), German chemist and biologist
Ronny Ostwald (b. 1974), German sprint athlete
Klaus Ostwald (b. 1958), East German ski jumper
Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932), German scientist, physico-chemist (Nobel Prize of Chemistry, 1909) eponym of Ostwald's Rule, Ostwald Process and Ostwald ripening

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)