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![Show Contents]() Waldau History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany
The Waldau family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, as hereditary surnames began to be adopted, names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Waldau is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Waldau was given to someone who lived in or near the woods. Early Origins of the Waldau familyThe surname Waldau was first found in the Franconian-Bavarian border, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. Indeed, this family is known to be one of the oldest noble families in all of Germany, as well as one of the largest landowners. They originate from their ancestral castle named Waldau which lies in northern Bavaria on the border to Franconia. Because of this proximity to Franconia, family members were listed in both Bavarian and Franconian chronicles of chivalry. Besides the castle Waldau, the family owned the castles Pleystein (Bleistein) and Waldthurn in Bavaria. In the 10th century the family extended into the Lausitz (Lusatia) after the Serbs of this region were conquered by Kaiser Heinrich I. They built the castle Waldau in the Upper-Lausitz three miles from Goerlitz. Without a doubt, the most famous of the family in early times was Peter Waldo, Valdo, Valdes, or Waldes (c. 1140 - c. 1205), the founder of the Waldensians, an early Christian spiritual movement of the Middle Ages. Early History of the Waldau familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waldau research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1413, 1700, 1714, 1735, 1742, 1754 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Waldau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Waldau Spelling VariationsMany cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Waldau include Waldau, Waldauer, Waldov, Waldauw, Waldowe, Waldow, Waldo (English), Waldaw, Walde, Zumwalt, Zumwald, Zumwalde and many more. Early Notables of the Waldau familyProminent among members of the name Waldau in this period include - Johann von Waldau, who was the bishop of Alt-Brandenburg in 1413...
- Sigismund Rudolph von Waldau, the Lord of Gottberg and Haselbusch, died in 1735 as a Prussian major general and chief of the regiment "von Waldau", while Arnold von Waldau died in 1742 as Governor of...
- Johann-Maltese knightly order, mention should be made of Bastian von Waldau (d.1700) from Koenigswalde, commander of the order at Lietzen, Adolph Friedrich von Waldau (d.1754), Privy Councillor at Koe...
Migration of the Waldau familyThe 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 Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: Andrew Zumwalt, who came to Texas in 1836; Wilhelm Zumwalde, who immigrated to Kentucky in 1839; Gotz Lazarus Waldauer, who came to Philadelphia in 1844.
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