Show ContentsEpple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestral home of the Epple family was in the German state of Bavaria. Epple is a local name for a person who lived in Bavaria, where they became known from the early Middle Ages as an important family within the social and cultural life of the community.

Early Origins of the Epple family

The surname Epple was first found in Bavaria, where the family held a family seat in the Middle Ages. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Eberhart and Friedericus of Ebs in Bavaria in 1190, Albertus (Appelinus) dictus Eppelin in Heilbronn in 1283, Rudel Eppfeler in Glatz in 1367, Nicholous Eppler in Iglau in 1390.

Early History of the Epple family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Epple research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1295, 1434, 1515, 1586, 1598, 1717 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Epple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epple 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 Epple include Epple, Eppler, Epler, Eppel, Eppell, Eppli, Epp, Eppo, Eppe, Eppard, Eppele, Eppelin, Eppeler, Eppfeler, Eppelen, Epplen, Eppan, Eppaner, Epplan, Eplan, Epling, Eppling, Eps, Epps, Ebs, Ebbs, Eppes, Epes, Eppley and many more.

Early Notables of the Epple family

Prominent among members of the name Epple in this period include

  • Joseph Franz Xaver Epplen, who a Privy Councilor to the court of Thuern and Taxis in Regensburg and to the sons of his deceased brother


United States Epple migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Epple or a variant listed above:

Epple Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Georg Epple, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1740 [1]
  • Johann Martian Epple, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 [1]
  • Johann Martin Epple, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 [1]
  • Andreas Epple, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772 [1]
  • Jonas Epple, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1772 [1]
Epple Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Gottlieb Epple, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Element"
  • Marie Epple, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 [1]
  • Kreszentia Epple, who landed in America in 1850 [1]
  • Ernstine Epple, aged 17, who landed in New York in 1854 [1]
  • Valentine Epple, who landed in Mississippi in 1856 [1]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Epple (post 1700) +

  • Philip R. Epple, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1964
  • Cecil W. Epple, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Isabella District, 1961
  • Maria Epple Beck (b. 1959), German giant slalom World Champion in 1978, sister of Irene Epple-Waigel
  • Irene Epple -Waigel (b. 1957), German two-time silver medalist alpine skier


  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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