Kreitz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Kreitz

What does the name Kreitz mean?

The Kreitz surname has several possible origins. The "Kreitz" variation of this surname was inspired by the town of Kreitz, which lies near the city of Neuss in northwestern Germany. This type of surname generally arose when an individual moved from one settlement to another, and was then referred to by the name of his place of origin. "Kreitz" may also have been derived from the German word "kreuz," denoting a "cross." The first bearers of the surname might have worked a field or plot of land shaped like a cross, or lived near a prominent cross that served either as a religious symbol or as a boundary-marker (crosses were commonly used for this purpose in the medieval period). It is also thought that the surnames "Kreuz" and "Kreitz" may have come from a sobriquet referring to someone who had served under the banner of the Cross in a Crusade.

Early Origins of the Kreitz family

The surname Kreitz was first found in the region of the North Rhine-Westphalia, where members of the Kreitz family were no doubt integral parts of the Feudal System that became the backbone of early European society.

Early History of the Kreitz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kreitz research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1753 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Kreitz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kreitz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kreitz, Kreuz, Kruetz, Kreutzer and others.

Early Notables of the Kreitz family

Gottfried Kreitz who was member of a leading family in Hamburg and registered a coat of arms

Kreitz migration to the United States +

Kreitz Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Kreitz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 1
William Kreitz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 1
John Adam Kreitz, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 1

Kreitz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Joh. Mathias Kreitz, from Germany who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Johann Dethardt" in 1844
Mrs. Marie Elise. Kreitz, (nee Rodscheid), from Germany who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Johann Dethardt" in 1844
Mr. Joh. Peter Kreitz, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Element"

Historic Events for the Kreitz family +

Bismarck

Friedel Kreitz (1922-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 2

Sources +

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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details