Family History

Ancestral Lineage

Origins of

the Surname

Variations of

the Surname

Armorial Bearings

and Motto(es)

Researching

by Location

Migrations of the

American Family

Source Documents

Gen-Resources

Family Images Gallery

Contact Information

Family history

  The only ancestor’s known of this lineage is our 6^th great-grandmother Barbara Kraemer.  Although it is most probable that she is of German ancestry the year and place of her birth is not known.  We do know that Barbara was living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania at the time of her marriage to Jacob Christman in 1758, and that her family may have attended the First Reformed Church in the city of Lancaster.  Between 1759 and 1778 she and Jacob produced 10 known offspring.  As such it is possible that she was born around 1738 and if so was at age forty when her last child was born.       Barbara died around 1805 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  We are descended through her daughter Rebecca Christman, born 1766, who married Jacob Lineberry also of Guilford County.  

Direct ancestors

Additional information about the persons in our database  as   well  as   a   complete

listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on this LINK.

Descendant Register

Generation 1

Barbara Kraemer-1. She died on Abt. 1805 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,  North Carolina. She married Jacques "Jacob" Christman on 11 Dec 1758 in  First Reform Church, Lancaster, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, son of Jean  Jacques Christman and Odille Verly. He was born on 04 May 1720 in  Rothau, Molsheim, Bas-Rhin, France. He died on 1785 in Reedy Fork,  Guilford Co., North Carolina.

Children of Barbara Kraemer and Jacques "Jacob" Christman are:

2.                 Barbara Christman, B: 15 Sep 1759 in Lebanon, Lebanon Co.,  Pennsylvania.

3.                 Balthaser Christman, B: 09 Dec 1760 in Lebanon, Lebanon  Co., Pennsylvania.

4.                 Elizabeth Christman, B: 1764 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,  North Carolina.

5.                 John George Christman, B: 1767 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,  North Carolina.

6.                 Abraham Christman, B: 1773 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,  North Carolina.

vi.        Joseph Christman, B: 1773 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co., North

           Carolina, D: 13 Nov 1825 in Guilford County, North Carolina.

vii.       Anna Mary Christman, B: 1774 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,

           North Carolina.

viii.       Henry Christman, B: 1775 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co., North

           Carolina.

ix.         David Christman, B: 1778 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co., North

           Carolina.

3.

x.          Rebecca Christman, B: 1766 in Reedy Fork, Guilford Co.,

           North Carolina.

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Origins of the surname

An Introduction

to the Surname

Source/Meaning

of the Surname

History of

the Surname

More About Surnames

An Introduction to the Surname

                 The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11^th century.     With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today.  Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives.  Thus people rarely changed their surname.  Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription.  Research into the record of this Kraemer family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname is most likely linked to that area of Europe where German linguistic traditions are commonly found. 

Source(s) & Meaning(s) of the Surname

     Most modern German family names are a means conveying lineage.  For the most part, German surnames were developed from four major sources: (1) Patronymic & Matronymic surnames most common in northern Germany are based on a parent’s first name, such as Niklas Albrecht (Niklas son of Albrecht);  (2) occupational surnames are last names based on the person’s job or trade for example Lukas Fischer (Lukas the Fisherman);  (3) descriptive surnames are based on a unique quality or physical feature of the individual like Karl Braun (Karl with brown hair); (4) geographical surnames are derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived such as Leon Meer (Leon from by the sea), or derived from the state, region, or village of the first bearer's origin for example Paul Cullen (Paul from Koeln/Cologne).

     Our Kraemer originating from the Austrian term for "merchant" is a variant of the German surname of Krämer. This surname is also ulitilzed by the Jewish (Ashkenazic), Danish, and Dutch.  Kramer is an  occupational name for a shopkeeper, peddler, or hawker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German kram ‘trading post’, ‘tent’, ‘booth’. This name is widespread throughout central and eastern Europe.

History of the Surname

     Most German names have their roots in the Germanic Middle Ages. The process of forming family names in what is present day Germany began early in the 12^th Century and extended through the 16^th century.   Kraemer is a very old Germanic name and is one of the early names recorded in that region of Europe.   Due to its popularity and duration this name, and its variant spellings, have traveled widely in many forms throughout the continent.       

     The use of Kraemer as a surname was first found in Bavaria, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society.  Bavaria is one of the oldest states of Europe, it was established as a duchy in the mid first millennium. In the 17th century, the Duke of Bavaria became a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 to 1918, and Bavaria has since been a free state (republic). Bavaria is a predominantly Catholic state with a distinct culture.  Modern Bavaria also includes parts of the historical regions of Franconia and Swabia.

   This Germanic surname appeared quite early into the former British colonies of North America, especially William Penn’s Province of Pennsylvania.  One reason for this was that after the prince of the Electorate of Hanover, in Germany also became king of England in 1715, as a result German emigration to America was greatly encouraged from that time on to about 1777.  A resulting factor of this great migration is that the Kraemer German name tends to be confused with the English versions due to the fact that the name from both countries is often in the same or similar spelling, which is perhaps not surprising as they share pre 7th century "Anglo-Saxon" roots.   Many of these German immigrants, particularly those with easy English equivalents, were encouraged and in some cases required to change to an English spelling.  Many persons with the Kraemer surname changed the spelling to the English Cramer or Kramer which has the same sound when pronounced in English.  Also many German surnames were re-spelled in America because of the close relationship between the English and German languages.     This was the case with many sea captains or their agents who, when making up the ships passenger lists, found it easier to use a more familiar English spelling.   As the general level of education in America increased after the American Civil War many formerly illiterate immigrants and their descendents began to standardize the spelling of their surname.   Also after the start of World War One, Germans in the United States, in great numbers, Anglicized their names in an effort to remove all doubt as to their patriotism.  

     Some noteable bearers of the Kraemer name are: Franz Kraemer (1914-1999), Canadian radio producer;  John Krämer, Carthusian writer of the fifteenth century;  Ludwig Krämer (born 1939), legal figure in the development of environmental law;  Nicholas Kraemer, British harpsichordist and conductor;  Otto Maria Krämer (born 1964), German church musician;  and Werner Krämer (born 1940), football player.

        The great majority of persons having the Kraemer surname emigrated to America from Germany with the most coming from the western part of the country.   Today about 38 persons per million in the United States have this surname.  The heaviest concentration of the name is found in a wide variety of states west of the Mississippi River. In Germany almost about 762 persons per million have this surname.    The most significant clustering of the name is found in Baden-Wurttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse.

Variations of the surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants.  As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.  Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families.  Spelling variations of this family name include:  Kramer, Kraemer, Kremer, Krammer, Kraemmer, Kraymer, Kraymmer, Cramer, Cremer, Crammer and many others.   

The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may also have been misspelled.  This is especially true when searching census documents.   The Soundex Indexing System was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname.  Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research.  The Soundex Code for Kraemer is K656.  Other surnames sharing this Soundex Code:  KERNER | KOERNER | KRAEMER | KRAMER | KREMER | KROENER | KROMER | .

Searching for more Information about this and other surnames?

Then take a look at our:

Coat of arms

In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe.  Heraldry spread to the German burgher class in the 13th century, and even some peasants used arms in the 14th century.  A German coat of arms is usually referred to by any of the following terms; Wappen, Familienwappen, Blasonierung, Heraldik, or Wappenschablonen.

Coat-of Arms

Image Gallery

Descriptions of the

Armorial Bearings

Motto(es) of

this Surname

More About Hearldic Bearings

Image gallery

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

ARMORIAL BEARINGS

The associated armorial bearings for this surname and close variant spellings are recorded in Burke’s General Armorie and Reitstap’s Armorial General.  The additional information, presented below, is offered with regard to the armorial bearings depicted above:

FIGURE 1: Granted to a Kramer of Nuremburg, Germany these arms feature a gold shield with a black ram's head and neck collared.

FIGURE 2: This coat-of-arms is cited by Reitstap and attributed to a Kramer of Germany.  The arms show a blue shield containing a golden tree.

FIGURE 3: Burke cites this coat-of-arms under the name Cramer of Ireland.  It is similar to the arms in figure 5.  The primary difference is in the crest which features a red cock (bird) on a mount a cock with wings expanded.  The motto of this Cramer is “Non dormit qui custodct.”

FIGURE 4: This coat-o-farms is not cited by Reitstap but may have been granted to a Kraemer of Bavaria as it is similar to the armorial bearings in figure 1.

FIGURE 5: This shield depicts the arms bestowed upon a Cramer of Dublin, Ireland.   It shows a blue fesse and a gold fesse separated by a dancetté (a zigzag line of partition) in the blue fess are two fleurs-de-lis and a canton of ermine.  The crest (not shown) features a golden fleurs-de-lis between two co-joined and erect black wings.

FIGURE 6: These armorial bearings have been ascribed as having been bestowed upon a Kramer of Germany. 

MOTTO(ES)  

     A motto is a word or sentence usually written upon a scroll and generally placed below the shield, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest.    Many ancient mottoes were war-cries such as the Douglas motto of “Forward.”    Many mottoes refer to the name of the bearer, for example “cole regem” for Coleridge.   In general most mottoes convey a sentiment, hope, or determination, such as the Cotter motto “Dum spiro spero” where the meaning is “While I have breath I hope“.     Mottoes are often used by several successive generations, but may be changed at any time by the grantee. The languages most in use are Latin, French, and English.  Exceptions are seen in Scotland where they are often in the old Lowland dialect, and in Wales, often in the language of the principality.    

     It is unusual to find a motto associated with the coat-of-arms of a noble German family.  As in this case no motto has been located that is associated with the Kraemer surname.  This does not necessarily mean that the Germanic culture is devoid of mottos.  For example, the national motto of Germany is “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit”, meaning Unity and Justice and Freedom.  The German word for motto is “Wahlspruch.” 

     Some of the more well known German mottoes are as follows: Alte Wunden bluten leicht – Old wounds readily bleed anew;    Blut und Eisen – Blood and iron;  Das beste is gut genug – The best is good enough;  Ein’ feste Burg is unser Gott – Our God is a strong tower of defense;  Ewigkeit – Eternity;  Für Gott und Iht – All for God and her;  Gott is überall – God is over all;  Gott mit uns – God is with us;  Ich dien – I serve;  Krieg – War;  Mehr Licht! – More light!;  Nichts zoviel – Nothing in excess;  Prosit! – Good luck!;    Vaterland – Fatherland;  Vertrau’ auf Gott – Put your trust in God;  Vorwärts! – Forward!;   Zu dienen – At your service.

Heraldic bearings

The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry.   A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution.  Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. 

Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a  coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms.  The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry.  Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms.  At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object.  The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Ancestral locations

Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in our family trees.  It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group.

Locations of

Direct Ancestors

Locational Distribution

of  this Surname

Where In the World

are my Ancestors?

Locatiof Direct Ancestors

The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the Direct Ancestors in the “Ancestral Lineage” (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

PENNSYLVANIA

Lancaster County

NORTH CAROLINA

Guilford County

Use this LINK to find out more

about the locations listed above.

Locational distributionstors

     Knowing the geographical areas where the surname you are researching is clustered and distributed is an indispensable tool in deciding where to focus your research.  We believe that the “Public Profiler” website will open up to you a wide range of solutions which implement current research in spatial analysis.  This site provides an array of local spatial information tools useful to the genealogist.

          The information presented below shows where the Kraemer surname is distributed within the United States as well as in the Germany, the country of origin of this family.   Germany is found to be the country in the world where this surname is the most highly clustered having almost 762 persons per million of population.  

United States of America

Key

European Country of Origin

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of a surname.  You can

get greater detail for any of the following maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

Wjere are my ancestors Ancestors

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and  other  helpful   resources 

that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations.  These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived.

Migration routes

       Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled.  Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking.  The trail map(s) provided below may assist you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

      During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America.  For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution.  For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents.  Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Kraemer, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries.  Most of these immigrants came from Germany.   Some of these immigrants were:  Andreas Kramer and Hans Kramer, who arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania sometime between 1683 and 1709. They were followed by Anna Catharina Kramer and Francisca Kramer who came to Philadelphia in 1725.  After them, Casper Kramer arrived in Philadelphia in 1732.  By 1840 most persons with this surname were living in Pennsylvania. 

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

The Development of an Historical Migration Route

It is understood that in many if not all cases we do not know exactly what routes our ancestors took as they migrated throughout the United States.   As such certain assumptions have been utilized to re-create the migration path presented above.  With regard to 18^th and 19^th century land routes we assume that they travelled along few trails and roads that were in existence at the time.  Research shows that a great many of these old paths and trails are today designated as U.S. Highway Routes.  For example, a major east-west route of migration known as the National Road is now U.S. Route 40, and a primary north-south migration route of the 18^th century followed the Great Indian War and Trading Path is now U.S. Route 11.  In some situations the re-created migration route may travel along state routes that connect or run through the seat of a county as that populated place is probably the oldest settlement in the area. The use of water as a migration route is also likely.  For example, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries many families travelled west on the Ohio River as they moved on the new lands in Missouri or the Old Northwest Territory.  As such when applicable water routes have been included as the possible migration route.   

Migrations of the Kraemer Family

     It is most likely that the progenitor of this Kraemer family migrated from southwestern Germany to the Province of Pennsylvania prior to the American Revolution.    The ship on which they travelled across the Atlantic Ocean would likely have arrived at the port of Philadelphia.  From here the immigrants would eventually move west to out of Philadelphia along the route known as the Philadelphia Wagon Road.  Today this route follows U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania.   The road ran directly to the town of Lancaster southeastern Pennsylvania.  It is believed that the Kraemer family eventually settled in the county of Lancaster or York.   

     Barbara Kraemer married Jacob Christman on 11 December 1758 at the First Reformed Church of Lancaster.  By 1763 the Christman family had joined the significant movement of Scots-Irish and German immigrants on the "Great Wagon Road" south from Pennsylvania into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and beyond.       Upon their arrival in North Carolina Barbara and her family settled in Orange County and stayed for a short period of time near Hillsborough.  By about 1765 she had moved on to the area of the Reedy Fork and settled on the waters of Travis Creek near the settlement of Stinking Quarter, also in Orange County.  Here they eventually obtained grants for 400 acres of land.  In 1771 the area of Orange County in which she lived became a part of the newly formed Guilford, County.   Barbara Kraemer Christman died about 1805 and may be buried in the Freiden's Lutheran Church Cemetery, located near Gibsonville, Guilford County, North Carolina.

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Source documents

The documents contained within this “Source Documents Archives” have been located during our research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.   Use the LINKS below to view our collection.

·       

·       

This Link will take you to our

archive of source documents.  

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive that does not cite a copyright.  Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with us via the contact information found at the end of this web-page.

     Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence.  Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record.  Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error.  Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents.  Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

     Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value.  This is especially true of secondary evidence.  Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE:  Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing  Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

Web resources

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·             Our Surname Locator And Resources web page contains the following: (1) links that will take you to an updated listing of all surnames as posted in our three databases at the Rootsweb WorldConnect Project; (2) the Surname List Finder a tool that finds sound-alike matches for a given surname from among RootsWeb's thousands of surname lists; (3) the Soundex Converter that can be used to find the soundex code for a surname, plus other surnames/spellings sharing the same soundex code;  (4) Surname Message Boards the world's largest online genealogy community with over 17 Million posts on more than 161,000 boards; (5) Surname Mailing Lists of all surnames having mailing lists at RootsWeb, as well as topics that include (6) Surname Heraldy, and  (7) Mapping a Surname. 

·             Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of Surname Web. This website links to the majority of the surname data on the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if known, and many other related genealogy resources. 

·             Surname Finder provides easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. On each surname specific "finder" page, you can search a variety of online databases all pre-programmed with your surname.

·             Use All Surnames Genealogy to get access to find your surname resources .  There are almost 1300 links in this directory.

·             SurnameDB Free database of surname meanings - This site SurnameDB.Com contains a large FREE to access database (almost 50,000 surnames) on the history and meaning of family last names.

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·             Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family Associations & Family Newsletters Index - Sites or resources dedicated to specific, individual family surnames.

Free Records & Databases

All of the records and databases we’ve collected are FREE and can be accessed and searched online without having to pay for a subscription.   We have divided our collected into 14 record types as follows: Biographical; Birth; Cemetery; Census & City Directories; Church; Court; Death; Immigration & Naturalization; Land; Marriage; Military; Newspapers; Occupational; and Tax Records.    We try not to list any sites that have only a few records for the purpose of getting you to a website that will charge a fee to actually see the record beyond just a name.  

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Images gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

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Contact Information

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Fred
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USA

Updated 01 July 2011

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Canada