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The name Rosenthall comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames; so as to remain distinct from the many others of the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from," which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Rosenthall was a name for some one lived in a township called Resenthal which is a place-name that denoted someone who came from an area where there was a valley of roses. Rosenthall is therefore a local name, indicating that the original bearer once lived, or held land in that area.
The surname Rosenthall was first found in the Rhineland, 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. In later years 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 Rosenthall research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1622, 1625 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Rosenthall 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 Rosenthall include Rosenthal, Rosental, Rosenthall, Rosentahl, Rosenthaler, Rosentaler, Rosethal, Rosetal, Rosethaler, Rosetaler, Rozenthal, Rozental, Rossenthal, Rossental, Rossenthaler, Rossentaler and many more.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rosenthall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Rosenthall were among of the early German families that came to North America: