Bavaria History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the ancestors of the Bavaria surname. Bavaria was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, and they often attached the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," to the surname. Often, the use of "von" was a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Bavaria was a name for someone who lived beside a grove of lime trees. The family name Bavaria is derived from the German word linde, which means lime tree. The original bearer was named for his proximity to a hill crowned by lime trees.

Early Origins of the Bavaria family

The surname Bavaria was first found in the Lower Rhine, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Henczel unter der lynden of Freiberg (Saxony) in 1383, Hannus von der Linde in 1440, Jacob Lindner of Tirol in 1348, Johann van Lynder of the lower Rhine in 1528, and Hermann Lindeman of Hanover in 1335. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as they emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Bavaria family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bavaria research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1562, 1563, 1650, 1705, 1760, 1836, 1842, 1852, 1873, 1934, 1938 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Bavaria History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bavaria Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Bavaria include Linde, Linden Linder, Lindner, Lindener and others.

Early Notables of the Bavaria family

Notables with the name Bavaria during this period were Michael Lindener (1520-1562), who was a strolling scholar and schoolmaster in Nuremberg, Ulm, and Augsburg, where he was finally executed for murder. Otto zur Linde (1873-1938) was a...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bavaria Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bavaria family

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Bavaria, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early: Andreas Linden, who came to Philadelphia in 1753. Abraham vanDer Linden came to Philadelphia in 1806. Jan Lindeman came to Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1698.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bavaria (post 1700) +

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (1869-1955), WWI Field Marshal, and the last Bavarian Crown Prince