Medieval
Austria is the ancient homeland of the Fetters family.
Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the
Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome,
Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals,
Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled
Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor
Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich.
Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled
Austria until the 20th century.
Early Origins of the Fetters family
The surname Fetters was first found in
Bavaria, where the name, historically associated with the landed aristocracy, could be considered to have played a major role in the
feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in
local affairs and branched into many houses which took part in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. The main branch of the family left
Bavaria for Styria in
Austria in 1587 and later moved into
Silesia where they became one of the most respected families. The ancestral seat was the castle and estates of Feistritz, near the city Cilley, two miles from Graz in Styria. The family also acquired the castle and manor Miestitz near Oppeln in Silesia.
Early History of the Fetters family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fetters research.
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1653, 1822, 1547, 1622, 1666 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Fetters History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fetters 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 Fetters include Vetter, Voetter (Bavaria), Votter (Bavaria), Vetters, Vetterle, Voetterl, Vetterling, Vetterlein, Vetterley, Vetterline, Vedder (northern Germany), Vett, Veth, Vether, Fett, Fetter, Fetters, Fetterle and many more.
Early Notables of the Fetters family (pre 1700)
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fetters Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Fetters family to the New World and Oceana
After the First World War,
Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of
Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Fetters were
Fetters Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Gitel Fetters, aged 30, who emigrated to the United States, in 1895
- Leie Fetters, aged 9, who emigrated to America, in 1895
- Moische Fetters, aged 5, who emigrated to the United States, in 1895
Fetters Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- William Fetters, who landed in America, in 1908
- Willis Fetters, who settled in America, in 1908
- Wm. Fetters, aged 47, who landed in America, in 1909
- Margaret Fetters, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1920
- Kenneth R. Fetters, who landed in America, in 1920
Contemporary Notables of the name Fetters (post 1700)
- Mrs. Harlan C. Fetters, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1932 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - E. H. Fetters, American Democrat politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1952 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Michael Lee Fetters (b. 1964), retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher
- Karl L Fetters (b. 1909), President of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers 1964