During our research into the distinguished surname Westphal, we traced the name to the province of Westphalia. Bordered by the Ruhr and the Weser river. Westphalia was a part of ancient Saxony until 1180A.D. and is now the contemporary “Bundesland” (state) of Nordrhein-Westfalen. Despite its union with Saxony after which it was divided into separate religious and political regions of authority. Westphalia has its own history. During the Reformation most of Westphalia remained Catholic, while Saxony became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name Westphalen became prominent in local affairs, and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought power in a constantly changing territorial profile. The oldest branch of the family can be traced to the ducal house von Billung, which dates back to 960. From very early on the family emigrated to Pomerania and Mecklenburg, and chronicles first mention the individuals Egbert Westfal of Stralsund in 1294 and Johann Westfeleke of Greifswald in 1350.
Most surnames udergo frequent changes in spelling during the course of history, even from father to son. The name evolves and changes with the language, and it was common in German to add phrases to a root name that tell something of the person’s religion, place of origin, or even character. Since so few people could read or write in the Middle Ages, the scribes recorded the names based on their sound, reflected in the different spelling and pronunciation from region to region. The variation of the name Westphal include the following: Westphal, Westfehling, Fehling, Westfahl, Westfeleke (Silesia), Westphalen, Westfall, Westfalen, to name a few examples.
Westphaia has been associated with the important Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty Years War, but divided Germany’s kingdoms and principalities into Protestant and Catholic regions, while Switzerland and the Netherlands were granted independence.
During this transitional period in German history, branches of the name Westphal moved to Mecklenberg and Pomerania, where the family emigrated in the 13th century. In the 15th century, the population of the family name grew in the same dimensions as the general population explosion. As the size of the family branched they established many branches in regions of Prussia, Brunswick, Hessen, and Bohemia. They moved following their special interests either in religious, military or political occupations. The Westphalen von Fuerstenburg branch were distinguished religious authorities, Friedrich Wihelm acting as princely bishop of Padeborn and Hildesheim up to his death in 1789. This branch attained the status of counts of the Holy Roman Empire when Clemens August, Privy Counselor and Minister of Trier, Cologne, and the Westphalian region, received his title in 1792. Another branch rose to promince in the duchy of Brunswick. Of this line, Christian Heinrich, lord of the estate Bornum near Wolffenbuettel and private secretary to Duke Ferdinand von Brunswick was knighted in 1805 when he was taken into the Daneburg Order of knights. His descendent, Friedrich von Westphalen, became a Minister of State for Prussia. Notables with the name Wstphal were many prominent descendants of the House von Billing line. They include Clemens August Wilhelm von Westphalen (1726-1778). Privy Councellor at Hildesheim and Paderborn, his son Clemens August Wilhelm (1754-1818). Grand Prior of the St. Johann Order of Knights, who became Count of the castle at Friedberg, and his son Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand (b. 1780), who died fighting in 1809 during the Napoleonic wars at the battle near Regensburg as a major in the Austrian army. Otto von Westphalen (1807-1856), Lord Chamberlain at the courts of Prussia, became Ambassador and Minister to the Swedish and Norwegian courts. Karl Friedrich Westphall (1833-1890) was an influential neurologist and psychologist.
Following the French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars, Westphalia was declared a Kingdom, of which only the principality of Lippe remained autonomous. Westphilia eventually came under Prussian dominance in the 19th century. In terms of Industry about half of the Ruhr region, the most industrialized area in the world, named the “Kohlenpott” (the coal pot), belongs to Westphalia.
The city of Duesseldorf is the present capital of Nordrhein-Wesfalen. Dortmund is Westphalia’s largest city, a former Imperial City and member of the Hanseatic League, a trading and commercial organization of the Middle Ages that was designed to foster trade among the European states. Nordrhein-Westfalen is also the site of Bonn, Germany’s capital, and Cologne, with its famous museum of its original settlement by the Romans, is a city with a beautiful historic cathedral.
After 150 many Germanys emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in the New World of Canada and the American colonies. The majority of them settled in communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois, Texas, and California, while those who arrived in Canada settled in the Prairie regions and the province of Ontario. Among the settlers with the name Westphal were Peter Westphal, who came to Virginia in 1778; John Westfall arrived in Frederick County. Maryland in 1795; Christian Westphal arrived in Frederickstown, Pennsylvania in 1778 at the age of 27; Maria Westphal came to Texas in 1850; Christian Wesphalen came to Philadelphia in 1795.
Prominent in our recent history were the following bearers of this name: Heinz Westphal (b. 1924), who was the Vice-President of the German Parliament (1083-) and then the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (1982).
Research has determined the above Coats of Arms to be the most ancient recorded for the family surname Westphal.
Information on this page was gathered by Hall of Names Inc.