Show ContentsRoesback History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Roesback. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname created in the Rhineland was the local name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of the village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, was used with local names. The surname Roesback was given to someone who lived beside roses by a stream. Roesback is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Roesback family

The surname Roesback was first found in the Rhineland, 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 savage tribal and national conflicts, with each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Roesback family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roesback research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1502, 1637, 1643 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Roesback History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roesback Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Roesback include Rosenbach, Rosbach, Roesbach, Rosebach, Rosenback, Rosback, Roesback, Roseback, Rosenbacher, Rosenbacker, Rosenbecker, Rosenbecher, Rosenbech and many more.

Early Notables of the Roesback family

More information is included under the topic Early Roesback Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Roesback family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Roesback, or one of its variants above: Peter Rosenbach, who sailed to England and/or America in 1709. Also, Peter Rosebach, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1754; Mr. Rosenback to San Francisco in 1850.



Houseofnames.com on Facebook