Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of
Westphalia.
Westphalia, the home of the name Alers. In the German provinces,
hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread.
Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of,
local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Alers family originally lived by an alder tree. Ancient records reveal the name Alers is derived from the Old German word
elre or
alre, which means
alder. There are also numerous places named Eller in the northern German states, such as the Rhine and Moselle areas, which adopted the name of an old stream called the Ellera. Thus, the name Alers is both a
topographic surname, a type of local surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree, and a
habitation name, a type of local name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Early Origins of the Alers family
The surname Alers was first found in
Westphalia, where the family 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.
Early History of the Alers family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alers research.
Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1424, and 1680 are included under the topic Early Alers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Alers Spelling Variations
One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Alers include Eller, Ellers, Eler, Aller, Aler, Ellern, Ellere, Elera, Ellera, Ellerer and many more.
Early Notables of the Alers family (pre 1700)
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Alers family to the New World and Oceana
Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from
Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many
Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of 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 settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:
Alers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Ferdinand Alers, who arrived in Idaho in 1868 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Miss Alers, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1886 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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 Alers Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Gloria virtutis umbra
Motto Translation: Glory is the shadow of virtue.