Show ContentsArmin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Armin family

The surname Armin was first found in Bavaria, where this family name is considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development in Europe. The family Armin became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. The name Armin is a popular first name, and it comes from Arminius, which is Latin for the German Hermann. Hermann the Cherusker (16 B.C.-21 A.D.,) or Arminius, is the most famous bearer of this name; as the liberator of Germany, he and his forces destroyed a Roman legion in 9 A.D. in the Teutoberger Forest.

Early History of the Armin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Armin research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Armin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Armin 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 Armin include Armin, Arminn, Arman, Armane, Armann, Armen, Armenius and many more.

Early Notables of the Armin family

Prominent among members of the name Armin in this period include

  • the two Bavarian lines of the von Armin family, Tiefenbach and Filgendorf


United States Armin migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Armins to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Armin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Armin, who landed in Maryland in 1661 1
  • Robert Armin, who arrived in Maryland in 1664 1
Armin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Armin, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1736 1
  • Pierre Jean Armin, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 1
  • Joseph Armin, who arrived in New Jersey in 1782 1
  • Samuel Armin, who landed in New Jersey in 1782 1
Armin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Anton Armin, who settled in Illinois in 1906

Contemporary Notables of the name Armin (post 1700) +

  • Friedrich Sixt von Armin (1851-1936), wounded in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) before becoming a general in command of the Fourth Army in Flanders (Belgium)
  • Brother Armin Altamirano Luistro FSC (b. 1961), Filipino Lasallian Brother who served as secretary of the Department of Education of the Philippines under President Benigno Aquino III
  • Bertil Armin Loftman, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Georgia, 1998 2
  • Armin Vilas, Austrian bobsledder who competed in the mid-1970s, he won the bronze medal in 1975 FIBT World Championships
  • Armin van Buuren OON (b. 1976), Dutch DJ, record producer and remixer
  • Armin Kircher (1966-2015), Austrian composer and conductor
  • Armin Hary (b. 1937), German four-time gold medalist athlete, the first non-American since 1928 to win the Olympic 100 metres in 1960
  • Armin Dale Kaiser (b. 1927), American molecular biologist, molecular geneticist, molecular biologist and developmental biologist
  • Armin Eichholz (b. 1964), German two-time gold medalist rower
  • Armin Hahne (b. 1955), German racing driver, Winner of the Spa 24 Hours (1982, 1983), Winner of the Bathurst 1000 (1985)


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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