Show ContentsLiebe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first family to use the name Liebe lived in that part northern and central Europe known today as Germany. It was used as a nickname for a person known as "flatterer" or "smooth talker" as it is in the case of Rudolph qui dicitur (so-named) Lieber who lived in the 13th century, or it could mean "one of pleasant disposition," as in Bernhard Lieb of Wuerttemberg in 1290.

Early Origins of the Liebe family

The surname Liebe was first found in Silesia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. The literal meaning of the name in its mediaeval context could either be "flatterer" or "smooth talker" as it is in the case of one Rudolph qui dicitur ("so-named") Lieber who lived in the 13th century, or it could mean "one of pleasant disposition," as in Bernhard Lieb of Wuerttemberg in 1290. The name became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries. They were always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Liebe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Liebe research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1559, 1654, 1708, 1781, 1800, 1815 and 1872 are included under the topic Early Liebe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Liebe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lieb, Liebe, Lieber, Liber and others.

Early Notables of the Liebe family

Notables of the period with the surname Liebe were

  • Christian Siegmund Liebe (1654-1708), a German composer from Freiberg, Saxony


Liebe migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Liebe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J G Liebe, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 1
  • Wilhelm Liebe, aged 29, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 1
  • William Liebe, who settled in Philadelphia in 1876
  • Kurt Liebe, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1893 1

Liebe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Liebe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Godfred Liebe, aged 27, a farmer, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 aboard the ship "Alfred" 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Liebe (post 1700) +

  • Louis Liebe (1819-1900), German conductor and composer
  • Carl Julius Otto Liebe (1860-1929), Prime Minister of Denmark (1920)


  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)
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ALFRED 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Alfred.htm


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