Vater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancient and distinguished German surname Vater is derived from the High German "vater," meaning "father." It is likely that the name was originally bestowed as a nickname on someone who acted as a counselor or elder within an extended family or community. Alternatively, the name "Vader" was often used to refer to a clergyman or to a male attendant in a hospital; thus, the progenitor of the name may have been one who held such an occupation.

Early Origins of the Vater family

The surname Vater was first found in Bavaria, where the name Vatersheim 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 branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Vater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vater research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1680, 1712, 1749, 1757, 1771, 1790, 1793, 1826 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Vater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vater Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Vatersheim, Vater, Vaterweis, Feuerstein, Waterstein, Waterscheim, Watersheim, Fater, Fader and many more.

Early Notables of the Vater family

Prominent among members of the name Vater in this period include

Gottfried Samuel Vater (1680-1749), a master builder, Georg Vater (c.1712), a German sculptor, Johann Severin Vater (1771-1826), a Baltic professor of theology, Friedrich Vater (d. 1866), a prominent...

Vater migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vater Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrig Michel Vater, who arrived in New York in 1709 [1]
Paulus Vater, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1742

Vater Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Friedrich Vater, who sailed from Hamburg to New York in 1851

Vater migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vater Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Christian Vater, a mercenary from Anhalt-Zerbst who settled in Québec after fighting in the American Revolution

Contemporary Notables of the name Vater (post 1700) +

Thomas J. Vater (b. 1827), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1869 [2]
John J. Vater, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1940 [2]

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html