Fichtner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Fichtner family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Fichtner is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Fichtner was given to someone who lived in the medieval township named Fichten. This township was located near the Fichtel mountains in the south-east of Germany. Although the original bearer of this name was born in Fichten, this family migrated to Franconia and Bavaria during the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Fichtner family

The surname Fichtner was first found in Franconia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Fichtner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fichtner research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1646, 1762, 1796, 1814, 1817 and 1879 are included under the topic Early Fichtner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fichtner 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 Fichtner include Fichte, Fichten, Fichter, Fichterle, Fichtel, Ficht, Fichtl and many more.

Early Notables of the Fichtner family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fichtner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fichtner 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 Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Fichtner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gottfried Fichtner, who settled in Philadelphia in 1800
Gottfd Fichtner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1800 1
Michael Fichtner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 1
Christopher Fichtner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 1
Theres Fichtner, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Fichtner (post 1700) +

Ross William Fichtner (b. 1938), American NFL football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, father of Randy Fitchner
Randy Fichtner (b. 1963), American NFL quarterbacks coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
William Edward "Bill" Fichtner (b. 1956), American Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor, known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break
Kurt Fichtner (b. 1916), prominent politician and member of the Socialist Unity Party in the former German Democratic Republic
Christiane Crane "Christy" Fichtner (b. 1963), American model, Miss Texas USA 1986 and Miss USA in the same year

Citations +

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)