Show ContentsBaltzell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Baltzell

What does the name Baltzell mean?

The roots of the distinguished surname Baltzell lie in Austria. The name derives itself from "Balthasar," the name of one of the three Magi who followed the star to Bethlehem, and was popular as both a first name and a family name during the 18th century.

Early Origins of the Baltzell family

The surname Baltzell was first found in Austria, where the name Baltheser was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. The Baldus, Baldes and Baldes were originally pet forms of the variant Balthasar which was the local patron saint and were often found in Rhineland. 1

Early History of the Baltzell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baltzell research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1656, 1659 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Baltzell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baltzell Spelling Variations

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 Baltzell include Baltzer, Balthasar, Balthezer, Balthesser, Ballthasar, Balthazar, Ballthezer, Balz (Pomerania), Baltzel and many more.

Early Notables of the Baltzell family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Baltzell were Thomas Baltzar (1630-1663), a renowned violinist, who achieved fame in London. He was born at Lubeck and settled in England in 1656. "He was the first great violinist that had been heard in England at the time. At the Restoration he...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Baltzell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baltzell Ranking

In the United States, the name Baltzell is the 18,346th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Baltzell family

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Baltzell or a variant listed above: Jacob Balzar, who emigrated to America with his family in 1709. Johann Georg Baltz arrived in Philadelphia in 1732.


Contemporary Notables of the name Baltzell (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Baltzell (1804-1866), American politician, Member of Florida Territorial Senate, 1844-46; Justice of Florida State Supreme Court, 1846-50, 1854-60; Member of Florida State House of Representatives, 1862-63 3
  • Robert C. Baltzell (1879-1950), American Republican politician, Chair of Gibson County Republican Party, 1912; Member of Indiana Republican State Committee, 1914-18 3
  • Michael Baltzell, American politician, Mayor of Frederick, Maryland, 1838-41 3
  • John R. Baltzell (1827-1893), American politician, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, 1879-80 3
  • Jean P. J. Baltzell, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1956 3
  • William Baltzell Ebbert (1846-1927), American officer and adjutant in the Union Army, newspaper publisher, author, farmer, businessman, and poet


  1. Bahlow, Hans (Edda Gentry trns.)Dictionary of German Names Madison, Wisconsin: Max Kade Institute, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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