Rheinland-Pfalz Family Trees
This is a database compiled from multiple Standesamts in the Rhineland-Palatinate of Germany.
Apologies! There was an error in my email address. If you have been trying to reach me, it has been fixed.
Please only email me if you have questions or think I have made a mistake in my research. I will get back to you with what I find. There are over 30k bits of information in the database. If I have 99% correct, that means over 300 mistakes.
Current Status:
As I follow my family lines I've completed all the records available from each town.
Bisterschied (1799 - 1897)
Dörrmoschel (1799 - 1897)
Finkenbach-Gersweiler (1799 - 1897)
Ransweiler (1799 - 1897)
Schönborn (1799 - 1897)
Teschenmoschel (1799 - 1897)
Waldgrehweiler (1799 - 1897)
Currently working on records from the town of Dörnbach (1799 - 1875)
With the last update, there were 19,247 profiles and 31,325 events.
Alternate Names
When I had approximately 13,000 individuals in the database, there were about 2,000 alternate names. It became obvious that I would not be able to track all the different spellings. It was becoming very hard to find individuals in the database and I started finding duplicates because I would miss someone because of how they spelled their name at a different time or place. Sometimes a name is spelled two different ways on the same document.
I developed a naming standard and followed it unless I had clear information that the name was spelled differently. Below are some of the more common spellings:
Adolf = Adolph
Anna = Ana
Anna & Maria = These two are interchangeable and usually stick with the one from the marriage record.
Augusta = Auguste
Carolina = Karolina
Charlotta = Scharlotta
Clara = Klara
Conrad = Konrad
Elisabetha = Eliza, Elisabeth
Frieda = Frida
Friederich = Friedrich, Frederie
Gertraud = Gertruda, Gretrauda, Gertraut
Heinrich = Henrich, Henry, Henri
Isaac = Isac, Isak
Jacob = Jakob, Jacques
Jacobina = Jakobina
Johann = Jean, Johan, Johannes (When combined with any other name)
Johannes = Jean, Johan, Johann (When it is a single name)
Karl = Carl, Charles
Kaspar = Caspar, Gaspare
Katharina = Katarina, Catharina, Chatharina
Louisa = Luisa, Luise
Ludwig = Louis
Peter = Pierre
Philipp = Phillipp, Phillip
Philippina = Phillippina, Phillipina, Philippine, Phillippine
Rudolph = Rudolf
Salomea = Saloma, Salome, Salomoa
Sara = Saara, Sarra
Solomon = Saloman, Salomon, Soloman
Theresa = Theresia
Valentin = Valtin
Baier = Bayer
Becker = Beker
Beutmann = Beitmann
Bitz = Biz
Börcker = Bercker,
Bittighofer = Bittighoffer
Britzius = Brizius
Burkhardt = Burckhart, Burckart, Burgard, Burkart, Burkardt, Burckardt, Burkard, Burkhart
Denzer = Dentzer
Deubel = Deibel, Deybel
Diehl = Diel (Usually)
Eckert = Ekert
Ehrensmann = Ehresmann
Ehrhardt = Ehrhard, Ehrhart
Enkler = Enckler
Fetzer = Fezer
Franzreb = Franzreeb
Glässer = Gläser, Glasser, Gläßer
Gödel = Göddel
Graf = Graff
Grübler = Grübeler, Grüweler, Grüwler
Henrich = Heinrich, Henry, Henri
Hofmann = Hoffman, Hoffmann, Hofman
Hupperich = Huberich, Hubrich, Huprich, Hupprich
Jung = Jungk
Kappel = Cappel, Kepel, Keppel
Keifaber = Keiffaber
Keiper = Keipert
Kempf = Kemph
Kessler = Keßler, Kesler
Maue = Maué
Nowis = Nobis
Ostermeier = Ostermayer, Ostermeyer
Pitz = Piz
Rathmacher = Radmacher
Rosbach = Rohsbach, Rossbach
Römer = Röhmer
Schmidt = Schmitt (usually)
Schulz = Schultz
Schumacher = Schuhmacher
Schuller = Schuler
Schwarz = Schwartz
Siegel & Siel, Siehl Names are interchangeable.
Stark = Starck
Straus = Strauss
Stilb = Stülb
Süss = Süs
Umnitz = Umeniz, Umenitz
Wagner = Waganer, Wagener
Wenz = Wentz
Wolf = Wolff
Zimmer = Ziemer (name changes spelling in later records)
All names using the "ß" letter are spelled with "ss". ie. Gläßer is Glässer
All names using the "ÿ" will be spelled with an "i". ie. Baÿer = Baier or Maÿer = Maier. These names may have later been standardized with a "y". So Bayer is also Baier.
Maurer & Mäurer = For the most part, the family Mäurer seems to ensure their family name is spelled correctly in the records. So I have endeavored to honor that wish.
Sheÿ = Research has shown this family used Shey as their name.
My Family Lines
I've given individuals with bloodlines to me color coding's, which can be traced back to these families:
Amos = Purple
Edelmann = Teal
Kloss = Lime
Lanzer = Red
Müller = Green
Stolz = Yellow
Thorn = Maroon
If you see these names without color coding, then I still have not proved the bloodline.
Out of Wedlock Births
If a child is born out of wedlock and the father says it's his on the birth record, the child gets the father's surname.
If a child is born out of wedlock and there is no father presented, the child gets the mother's surname.
If the couple should later marry and the father proclaims the children are his on the marriage record, I add the mother's surname as an alternate name and give the child the father's surname.
If the father should later claim the child is his, but not on the marriage record or they never marry, I add the fact "Anerkennung" (Recognition) with the date and place, add the mother's surname as an alternate name and give the child the father's surname.
There are a few instances where the mother makes an "Anerkennung". These are usually because the birth records are vague and they want to confirm who the mother is. While I note these, they do not effect the child's surname.
Jewish Families
One of the few outside websites I've used for information is the Name Adoption Lists from 1808. This has helped me identify Jews in the records before 1808 and in some instances connect families from different towns who had adopted different names.
I also use The World Holocaust Remembrance Center to discover what happened to individuals as often as possible.
Individuals with Blue coloring are Jewish families.
Favorite Profiles
Blandina WOLF is a Jewish woman who not only survived the Holocaust, but at 105 is currently the oldest living person in the database. I would really like to know more about her life.
Stillborns
I've logged all the stillborns in database as "Infant" and whenever possible noted whether they were male or female. Tracking stillborns is important as couples were having children usually between every 18 to 30 months. If it was longer than that, it is possible you are missing a child in the family. Shorter and it is possible the last child died early.