Zimmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Prussia, Germany is the ancestral home of the Zimmer family. The Germans began using hereditary surnames in the 12th century. Zimmer is an occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a in Prussia. The name Zimmer means "room" or "chamber" while the derivative Zimmerman and its many variations are occupational names meaning carpenter, literally "room man."

Early Origins of the Zimmer family

The surname Zimmer was first found in Prussia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches in Germany and abroad, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. Chronicles first mention the knight Hans von Zimmern, who signed his name Hans Zimmerlin, of Wuerttemberg around 1414.

Early History of the Zimmer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Zimmer research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1644, 1672, 1685, 1693, 1730, 1766, 1778, 1811 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Zimmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zimmer 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 Zimmer include Zimmer, Zimmerle, Zimmerer, Zimmermann, Zimmerman, Zimerman, Timmer (northern Germany), Timmermann, Timmerman and many more.

Early Notables of the Zimmer family

Notable figures of the time with the name Zimmer were

Johann Jacob Zimmermann (1644-1693), a German nonconformist theologian, Millenarian, mathematician, and astronomer

Zimmer Ranking

In the United States, the name Zimmer is the 2,187^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Zimmer is ranked the 3,001^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2

Zimmer migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Zimmer were

Zimmer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Jacob Zimmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 3
Wilhelm Zimmer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
Philip Zimmer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 3
Heinrich Zimmer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 3
Matthais Zimmer, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1749 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Zimmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Zimmer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Georg Ametius Zimmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Jacob Zimmer, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1833 3
M A Zimmer, who landed in America in 1833 3
Phillipp, III Zimmer, who landed in North America in 1836 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Zimmer (post 1700) +

Robert Jeffrey Zimmer (1947-2023), American mathematician and academic administrator, 13th President of the University of Chicago and Chair of the Board for Argonne National Lab, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Adam Zimmer (1984-2022), American assistant defensive backs coach and offensive analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals, son of Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer
Donald William "Don" Zimmer (1931-2014), American Major League Baseball infielder, manager, and coach, NL Manager of the Year (1989), six-times World Series champion (1955, 1959, 1996, 1998-2000)
Kim Zimmer (b. 1955), American actress
Charles Louis Zimmer (1860-1949), American Major League Baseball catcher
John Todd Zimmer (1889-1957), leading American ornithologist
J. Eugene Zimmer, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County 1st District, 1941-44 4
Harry T. Zimmer Jr., American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 26th District, 1958 4
Harry Zimmer, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Erie County 6th District, 1928 4
George M. Zimmer, American politician, Representative from Michigan 4th District, 2012; U.S. Taxpayers Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 2012 4
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Zimmer family +

Bismarck

Fritz Zimmer (1918-1941), German Bootsmannsmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details