I'm having trouble finding the origin of my last name, help?

Question

My last name is very long and uncommon, so I'm having a tough time trying to find it on a website. My dad told me once that it was German, but I'm not so sure now. Do you know any websites for last names?

Answer 1

It's probably a variation of Rodenbaugh, which comes up a lot more frequently in searches than Rodenbough does.  Here's what Ancestry.com says about it:

Rodenbaugh Name Meaning and History

Americanized spelling of any of several German habitational names: Rodenbach, Rothenbach, or Rottenbach, though probably for the most part of the first, Rodenbach, which is from any of several places in Hesse, Bavaria, or the Palatinate (regions in Germany), so named from Old High German rod ‘clearing’ + bach ‘creek’.

There were quite a few Rodenboughs and Rodenbaughs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the 1700 and 1800s, but there don't seem to be a whole lot who came here in recent times.  So your ancestors may have been here quite a while... long enough so that some branches of the family made various changes to the spelling.

You might be able to get some good answers at the Rodenbaugh GenForum:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/rodenbaugh...

It's a message board for people who are researching their Rodenbaugh family history, but it also includes Rodenbough and other variations.  If you ask your question there, you'll probably get some good answers!

Answer 2

Rodenbaugh  Last name origin & meaning:

Americanized spelling of any of several German habitational names: Rodenbach, Rothenbach, or Rottenbach, though probably for the most part of the first, Rodenbach, which is from any of several places in Hesse, Bavaria, or the Palatinate, so named from Old High German rōd ‘clearing’ + bach ‘creek’.

And there is, although I think less likely :

Rodenburgh

This most interesting surname is of Old Flemish (Dutch) origin, and may be either a locational name, from a place called "Rodenbourg" in Luxembourg; or a topographical name for "a dweller by a red fortified castle" or by "a fortified castle on cleared ground", both deriving from the Middle High German "rotenburc", composed of either "rot", red or "roden", cleared land, with the second element "burc", "berg", fortified place, castle. The name is widespread as "Rodenburg" in the Netherlands and is found in early records as "Rot(t)enberger" in medieval German states. Coats of Arms were granted to families in Holland called Rodenborg (Utrecht), Rodenburg (Amsterdam) and Rodenburgh (Amsterdam), and in Germany, Rodenborch (Hambourg) and Rodenberg (Rhineland). The Coat of Arms for "Rodenborg" (Utrecht) depicts three red castles on a gold shield. Henrica Van Rodenburch (see below) married Gerrit Van Egmond in 1382 at Markelo, Overijssel, Holland, while Jan, son of Jan and Angnietje Rodenburg, was christened on March 25th 1631 in Amsterdam. Caspar Rotenberger was christened on October 30th 1578 at Jagstkreis, Wuertt, in Germany. Antje Rodenburgh married Tjebbe Sjoerds on August 21st 1686 at Sneek, Freiesland, Holland. Lidia Rodenburg was a German immigrant from Leipzig, who left Bremen for New York, aboard the "Hausa", arriving there on June 24th 1864. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henrica Van Rodenburch, which was dated 1358, born at Markelo, Overijssel, Netherlands, during the reign of King Charles 1V of Luxembourg, 1348 - 1378.

Answer 3

ancestry.com

It might help you out

Answer 4

Names and families are unique.. and what works for one, will NOT work for someone else.  In many many cases.. the name you now have, may be a variation of what was the "original", and it WON'T show up in generic databases/ websites.

Your best option (always) is to work with known ancestors, and trace them back. They will probably be in census records, but that is on ancestry.com, which isn't free. As you work back, if there has been a "change", it will normally show up in the search process.

You can post the name here (you don't have to link it to yourself as personal info).. or, you can email it to me, and I'll run it in ancestry for you.