Alber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Germany

Latin word Albanus, which means white. Alber was originally a name from the many places in Italy and elsewhere called Alba. The nickname was usually given to someone who was fair in complexion or blond haired. The name originated in Alsace, where the Alber family played an integral part in the social, economic and political development of the region. In medieval times, when land proprietorship and management were the sole source of wealth and power, the Alber family became members of the gentry.

Early Origins of the Alber family

The surname Alber was first found in Alsace, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which shaped modern Europe. The family branched into several houses, all of which played an important role in the local political conflicts which forged the nation. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include C. Alber in Reutlingen, 1360, and Dietlin Alber in Tyrol, 1394.

Early History of the Alber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alber research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1396, 1595 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Alber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alber 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 Alber include Albe, Alb, Alber, Alba, Allbe, Allbes and others.

Early Notables of the Alber family

Notables with the name Alber during this period were

A Bavarian monk named Alber, who lived in the late 12th century at the Winberg monastery, was known as the author of a poem about the legendary Irish knight Tundalus...

Alber Ranking

In the United States, the name Alber is the 13,871^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Alber migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Alber were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Alber Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Benjamin Alber, who landed in Massachusetts in 1641 [2]

Alber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Alber, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 [2]
Matheus Alber, who settled in Philadelphia in 1753
Mathias Alber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1764 [2]

Alber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Alber, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 [2]
Ludwig Alber, who landed in Philadelphia in 1867
Mr.Jos Alber, aged 20, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Belgenland" [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Alber (post 1700) +

Robert J. Alber, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 14th District, 1936 [4]
Manfred Alber, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Arizona State Senate 10th District, 2002 [4]
Siegbert Alber (b. 1936), prominent governmental advisor in Stuttgart
Leo Alber Huard (1916-1969), American lawyer and university dean in California

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2155
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html