Show ContentsZastrow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the distinguished surname Zastrow lie on the Baltic coast of Pomerania. The name is derived from "Zastrow," the name of a city in Pomerania, and was most likely originally borne by a resident of the city.

Early Origins of the Zastrow family

The surname Zastrow was first found in Pomerania, where it is believed to have emerged. During the Middle Ages, it was common practice for a new resident of a town to be identified by the name of his native city; thus, Zastrow may have been initially borne as a surname by someone who had migrated from Zastrow to another city. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Conradus de Zasterow, who lived in Greifswald in 1270.

Early History of the Zastrow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Zastrow research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1594 and 1636 are included under the topic Early Zastrow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zastrow Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Zastrow, Zasterow, von Zastrow and others.

Early Notables of the Zastrow family

Prominent bearers of the name Zastrow at this time were

  • Christoph von Zastrow (1594-1636), a councillor in Pomerania, and several members of the von Zastrow family of Pomerania who became prominent military generals

Zastrow Ranking

In the United States, the name Zastrow is the 16,664th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Zastrow migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Zastrow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Martin Friedrich Zastrow and his wife Dorothea
  • Gottlieb Friedrich Zastrow, aged 48, who landed in America in 1845-1846 2
  • Martin Friedrich Zastrow, aged 42, who landed in America in 1845 2
  • Wilhelmine Zastrow, aged 36, who arrived in America in 1845 2
  • Karl Friedrich Zastrow, aged 37, who arrived in America in 1846 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Zastrow migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Zastrow Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Gottlieb Zastrow, who immigrated to Québec in 1851

Contemporary Notables of the name Zastrow (post 1700) +

  • Charles Harold Zastrow (b. 1942), American social scientist, Professor of Social Work at the George Williams College of the Aurora University
  • Paul Zastrow, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 2000 3
  • Lawrence J. Zastrow, American politician, Justice of South Dakota State Supreme Court 1st District, 1976-79 3
  • Jeff Zastrow, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 3rd District, 2002 3
  • Holger Zastrow (b. 1969), German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party of Germany
  • Alexander Friedrich Adolf Heinrich von Zastrow (1801-1875), Prussian general in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-German War, son of Alexander Heinrich Gebhard von Zastrow
  • Mitja Kolia Zastrow (b. 1977), German-born Dutch swimmer and Olympic medalist
  • Charlotte Zastrow (1877-1946), well-known German writer
  • Colonel Alexander Heinrich Gebhard von Zastrow (1768-1815), Prussian officer during the Napoleonic Wars


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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