Show ContentsEngelbrecht History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Engelbrecht emerged in the ancient German province of Westphalia, which lies between the Rhine and Wesser rivers. Two of the common types of hereditary surnames found in the Westphalia were patronymic surnames, which were derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which were derived from the mother's given name. The surname Engelbrecht was derived from various Germanic personal names. The name Engelbrecht is a short form of given names such as Engelbert or Engelhard.

Early Origins of the Engelbrecht family

The surname Engelbrecht was first found in Bremen, 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.

Early History of the Engelbrecht family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Engelbrecht research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1669, 1674, 1689, 1694 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Engelbrecht History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Engelbrecht 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 Engelbrecht include Engel, Engels, Engell, Engeler, Engeli, Aingel, Aingell, Aengel, Aengell, Aingeler, Engele, Aingele, Engler, Engebretson, Engelbrekt, Engelbretson, Engebrecht, Engelbrecht, Engelbrecher, Engelbert and many more.

Early Notables of the Engelbrecht family

Notables of the period with the name Engelbrecht were Hans Ludwig Engel (1630-1674), a Roman Catholic canon lawyer, best known as the author of "ollegium Universi Juris Canonici", Vice Chancellor at the University of Salzburg (1669); and Ludwig Engel (died 1694)...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Engelbrecht Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Engelbrecht Ranking

In the United States, the name Engelbrecht is the 13,297th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Engelbrecht is ranked the 111st most popular surname with an estimated 47,953 people with that name. 2


Engelbrecht migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Engelbrecht Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Maria Got Engelbrecht, who landed in America in 1680 3
Engelbrecht Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Georg Mar Engelbrecht, who landed in America in 1751 3
  • Georg Martin Engelbrecht, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
  • Jean Engelbrecht, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1782 3
  • Johnn Engelbrecht, who arrived in America in 1783 3
Engelbrecht Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johann Konrad Engelbrecht, who landed in America in 1834 3
  • Conrad Engelbrecht, aged 29, who landed in Missouri in 1840 3
  • Anna Katharina Engelbrecht, who arrived in America in 1841
  • John Adam Engelbrecht, who landed in Maryland in 1844 3
  • Hennea Sophia Engelbrecht, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Engelbrecht (post 1700) +

  • H. C. Engelbrecht (1895-1939), American author
  • J. Engelbrecht, American politician, Mayor of Frederick, Maryland, 1865-68 4
  • Julie Engelbrecht (b. 1984), French-born, German film and television actress
  • Daniel Engelbrecht (b. 1990), German football forward
  • Erwin Engelbrecht (1891-1964), German military officer, commander of "Engelbrecht Division", recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Rabian Engelbrecht (b. 1992), South African cricketer
  • Grazjyna Engelbrecht (b. 1982), South African field hockey player at the 2004 Summer Olympics
  • Sybrand Abraham Engelbrecht (b. 1988), South African cricketer
  • Major-General Sybrand Abraham Engelbrecht SM (1913-1994), South African military commander
  • Joubert Engelbrecht (b. 1989), South African rugby union player
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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