Show ContentsWaldauer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Waldauer family are found in the German state of Bavaria. Waldauer was a local name, for someone who lived in or near the woods.

Early Origins of the Waldauer family

The surname Waldauer was first found in the Franconian-Bavarian border, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. Indeed, this family is known to be one of the oldest noble families in all of Germany, as well as one of the largest landowners. They originate from their ancestral castle named Waldau which lies in northern Bavaria on the border to Franconia. Because of this proximity to Franconia, family members were listed in both Bavarian and Franconian chronicles of chivalry. Besides the castle Waldau, the family owned the castles Pleystein (Bleistein) and Waldthurn in Bavaria. In the 10th century the family extended into the Lausitz (Lusatia) after the Serbs of this region were conquered by Kaiser Heinrich I. They built the castle Waldau in the Upper-Lausitz three miles from Goerlitz. Without a doubt, the most famous of the family in early times was Peter Waldo, Valdo, Valdes, or Waldes (c. 1140 - c. 1205), the founder of the Waldensians, an early Christian spiritual movement of the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Waldauer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waldauer research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1413, 1700, 1714, 1735, 1742, 1754 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Waldauer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waldauer 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 Waldauer include Waldau, Waldauer, Waldov, Waldauw, Waldowe, Waldow, Waldo (English), Waldaw, Walde, Zumwalt, Zumwald, Zumwalde and many more.

Early Notables of the Waldauer family

Prominent among members of the name Waldauer in this period include Johann von Waldau, who was the bishop of Alt-Brandenburg in 1413. Sigismund Rudolph von Waldau, the Lord of Gottberg and Haselbusch, died in 1735 as a Prussian major general and chief of the regiment "von Waldau", while Arnold von Waldau died in 1742 as Governor of Breslau. Among the many members of this family who served as commanders...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waldauer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Waldauer migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Waldauer surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Waldauer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Gotz Lazarus Waldauer, who settled in Philadelphia in 1844

Contemporary Notables of the name Waldauer (post 1700) +

  • Louis Waldauer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Mississippi, 1908, 1912 1
  • Abe D. Waldauer, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1941-51 1
  • Charles Waldauer (b. 1935), prominent Professor of Economics


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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