Lechner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Lechner

What does the name Lechner mean?

The surname Lechner is derived from the Middle and High German word lechenäre which means the holder of a Lehnbauernhofs or farmhouses, from the German words fief or lehn. The name is Upper German, or in German Oberdeutsch. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been a Jewish name. In this case, the name was an occupational name for a banker, pawnbroker or usurer, and was sometimes adopted as an equivalent of the name Levi.

Early Origins of the Lechner family

The surname Lechner was first found in Southern Germany, northern and central Switzerland and Austria. 1 Branches of the family were later found in Schiedam in the Netherlands, Tyrol in Austria and Ratisbona, Germany.

Early History of the Lechner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lechner research. The years 1553 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Lechner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lechner 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 Lechner include Lenher, Lechner, Lecner, Lohner and others.

Early Notables of the Lechner family

Leonhard (Leonard) Lechner (c. 1553-1606), a German composer, kapellmeister, tenor and music editor who was taught by Orlando de Lassus...

Lechner Ranking

the United States, the name Lechner is the 9,220^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Lechner migration to the United States +

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 Lechner were

Lechner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ruprecht Lechner, who landed in Georgia in 1734-1741 3
Veit Lechner, (b. 1713), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
Hans Georg Lechner, aged 33, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
Magdalena Lechner, (b. 1693), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
Elisabeth Lechner, (b. 1731), who arrived in Georgia in 1741 aboard the ship "Loyal Judith" 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lechner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Lechner, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Anna M Lechner, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Peter Lechner, who arrived in America in 1835 3
Johan Leond Lechner, aged 34, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Atlantic" in 1840 4
Franz Lechner, aged 25, Bavarian settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Rhone" in 1841 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lechner migration to Australia +

Lechner Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Edmund Lechner, settler from London who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Mongolia" in 1908 5
Bernard Lechner, settler from San Francisco who arrived in Australia aboard the ship "Malolo" in 1929 5
Kurt Lechner, settler from London who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Orontes" in 1937 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Lechner (post 1700) +

John A "Johnny" Lechner, American film and television actor
Edgar Henry Lechner (1919-2015), American football guard and tackle
Alfred James Lechner Jr. (b. 1948), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Major Ralph C. Lechner, United States Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica 1964 to 19660, eponym of Mount Lechner, Antarctica
Bernard J. Lechner, American electronics engineer, former Vice President, RCA Laboratories
Matthew Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Secretary of State of New York, 1908 6
Matthew Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartford, 1902 7
Frederick Lechner, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartford, 1910, 1914 7
Robert Lechner (b. 1967), German retired track cyclist who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html