Show ContentsEmerich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Emerich surname comes from the baptismal name Emmerich, which was originally derived from the Old German word that means ruler.

Early Origins of the Emerich family

The surname Emerich was first found in the Rhine region, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. The name may have its origin in the ancient Roman colony of Embrika or Emrik, mentioned as early as the 7th century, which became a possession of Brandenburg in 1609. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Emerich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Emerich research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1559, 1732, 1742, 1813, 1824 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Emerich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emerich 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 Emerich include Emmerich, Emmrich, Emerich, Emrich, Emmerick, Emerick, Emmerik, Emerik, Aemerich, Aemerik and many more.

Early Notables of the Emerich family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Emerich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Emerich migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Emerich, or one of its variants above:

Emerich Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H F Emerich, aged 18, who arrived in Texas in 1852 1
  • Henry F Emerich, aged 18, who landed in Texas in 1852 1
  • Philip Emerich, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1855 1
  • George E Emerich, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1855 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Emerich (post 1700) +

  • Emerich Roth (1924-2022), Czechoslovakian-born Swedish author, lecturer and social worker who worked with spreading information about racism, violence, and Nazi atrocities, Holocaust survivor
  • Emerich Ullmann (1861-1937), Austrian surgeon
  • Emerich Burt Freed (1897-1955), American politician, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, 1941 2
  • Emerich Steinberger (1896-1948), American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly, 1920, 1928, 1933, 1935; Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 18th District, 1932, 1934 3


  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 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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