Show ContentsArnol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Similar to many Austrian family names, the distinguished surname Arnol is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Otto I defeated the Magyars in 955. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Arnol family

The surname Arnol was first found in Austria, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which 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. Chronicles first mention Gregor Aroldt of Luetzen in 1504.

Early History of the Arnol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arnol research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1650, 1665, 1666, 1695, 1714, 1740, 1773, 1795 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Arnol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arnol 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 Arnol include Arnold, Arnoldt, Arnolds, Arnol, Arnoll, Arnolle, Arnholdt (often in Saxony), Aroldt (Franconia), Arlt (Silesia) and many more.

Early Notables of the Arnol family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Arnol were

  • Arnold, known as "Arnold of Brescia" (d.1155), an outstanding personality who challenged and condemned the temporal power of the Church and was executed
  • Christoph Arnold (1650-1695), a German amateur astronomer from Sommerfeld near Leipzig, eponym of the Arnold lunar crater
  • Gottfried Arnold (1666-1714), a Protestant divine born in Saxony


United States Arnol migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Arnol were

Arnol Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Arnol, who landed in Massachusetts in 1635 1


  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)


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