Show ContentsRöwer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Röwer

What does the name Röwer mean?

The ancestral home of the Röwer family is in the German province of Bavaria. Röwer is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute. It is a name for a shaggy or unkempt person, stemming from the German word "rauch," meaning "rough, hairy." As with many early names such as this, the reference was often in jest. More likely, the origin is in reference to the smoke generated by smithies and thereby would be a trade name. The name was translated to English when the first settlers immigrated to North America, giving rise to such variations as "Smoak" or "Smoke."

Early Origins of the Röwer family

The surname Röwer was first found in Bavaria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. Literally, the name refers to the smoke generated by smithies. For instance, a smith in Zurich was known as "Meister Roeuchli," literally "Mister Smoke," around 1468. The various branches of the Rauch and Raeuchlin families declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region.

Early History of the Röwer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Röwer research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1522, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1808 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Röwer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Röwer Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Röwer include Raucher, Rauche, Raeuchlin, Reuchlin, Raeuchle, Rauck, Raucker, Raucke, Rauk, Rauker, Rauke, Smoak, Smoke, Ruch and many more.

Early Notables of the Röwer family

Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522), who was, together with his friend Erasmus, the driving force behind the German Renaissance. He began as a lawyer in the service of the Duke of Wuerttemberg, became a judge of the Swabian league, contributed to the reinterest in Greek studies, and...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Röwer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Röwer migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Röwer or a variant listed above:

Röwer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Jacob Rower, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
  • Johannes Rower, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Röwer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Heinr Rower, who arrived in America in 1846 1


  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)


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