Veth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Medieval Austria is the ancient homeland of the Veth family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Veth family

The surname Veth was first found in Bavaria, where the name, historically associated with the landed aristocracy, could be considered to have played a major role in the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name was derived from the German word for "cousin," from the German word denoting "father's brother; one related to another, later, a male cousin." 1

The main branch of the family left Bavaria for Styria in Austria in 1587 and later moved into Silesia where they became one of the most respected families. The ancestral seat was the castle and estates of Feistritz, near the city Cilley, two miles from Graz in Styria. The family also acquired the castle and manor Miestitz near Oppeln in Silesia.

Early History of the Veth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Veth research. Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1547, 1622, 1653, 1666, 1734 and 1822 are included under the topic Early Veth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Veth 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 Veth include Vetter, Voetter (Bavaria), Votter (Bavaria), Vetters, Vetterle, Voetterl, Vetterling, Vetterlein, Vetterley, Vetterline, Vedder (northern Germany), Vett, Veth, Vether, Fett, Fetter, Fetters, Fetterle and many more.

Early Notables of the Veth family

Prominent among members of the name Veth in this period include the knight Eusebius Vetter, who so distinguished himself at the Battle of the White Mountain during the uprising...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Veth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Veth migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Veth or a variant listed above:

Veth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Veth, who landed in St Clair County, III in 1857 2

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)