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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
The Rohrbach 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 Rohrbach 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 Rohrbach was given to someone who lived in Bavaria The name may stem from the German word rohr, which means reed. Thus, it is a topographical name indicating a person who lived in or near an area thickly overgrown with reeds.
The surname Rohrbach was first found in Bavaria, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. Bearers of the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rohrbach research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1623 is included under the topic Early Rohrbach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Rohrbach include Rohrbach, Rohrenbacher, Rohrenbach, Rohrbacher, Rorback, Rorbach, Rorbacker, Rorenback, Rorenbacker, Rohrbech, Rohrbecher, Rohrenbech, Rohrenbecher, Rohrbeck, Rohrbecker, Rohrenbeck and many more.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rohrbach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Rohrbach is the 11,463rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
The 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: