Spieler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Medieval Austria is the ancient homeland of the Spieler family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Spieler family

The surname Spieler was first found in Austria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They had their noble seat in the 12th century at the fortified castle Spillburg on an island in the Danube river. Eberhard Spielberg sold the castle to Kaiser Rudolph I in the second half of the 13th century. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Spieler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spieler research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1652 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Spieler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spieler 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 Spieler include Spielburg, Spielberg, Spielberger, Spielburger, Spielenberg, Spielbergen, Spillberg, Spillsberg and many more.

Early Notables of the Spieler family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Spieler were Adriana Spilberg (1652-1700), a Dutch Golden Age painter; and Eberhard Spielberg, a knight and a Baron, who was the...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spieler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spieler migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Spieler or a variant listed above:

Spieler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Spieler, who landed in Indiana in 1848 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Spieler (post 1700) +

Marlena Spieler (1949-2023), American food writer of more than 70 cookbooks, contributor to Bon Appétit, Saveur, and the San Francisco Chronicle food column "The Roving Feast"

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)