Show ContentsZiehl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Ziehl is derived from the Middle High German word "sell," which meant "traveling companion." It was most likely originally nickname, which then became a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Ziehl family

The surname Ziehl was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region, later moving to Lithuania and East Prussia. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the military and civil service, which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development and eventual unification of the German nation.

Early History of the Ziehl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ziehl research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1663, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Ziehl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ziehl Spelling Variations

Many 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 Ziehl include Sell, Selle, Sellen, Sellers, Seller, Sellmann, Sellman and many more.

Early Notables of the Ziehl family

Notables of the period with the name Ziehl were Thomas Selle (1599-1663), a German baroque composer; and Baron Adolph von Sell (b.1797), who was Lord Chamberlain at the court of Mecklenburg, as well as...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ziehl Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Ziehl migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Ziehl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Paul Ziehl, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Ziehl (post 1700) +

  • Scott Ziehl, American award winning director and producer, known for Broken Vessels (1998), Cruel Intentions 3 (2004) and Earth vs. the Spider (2001)
  • Günther Ziehl (1913-2002), German engineer and businessman, son of Emil Ziehl
  • Emil Ziehl (1873-1939), German engineer and entrepreneur who developed the first external rotor motor in 1897 and co-founder of the Ziehl-Abegg Electricity Company in 1910
  • Dr. Franz Ziehl (1857-1926), German bacteriologist
  • Rüdiger Ziehl (b. 1977), German football manager and former footballer


  1. 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)


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