Contents [hide]

Ambrose History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Ambrose History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

Etymology of Ambrose

What does the name Ambrose mean?

Similar to many Austrian family names, the distinguished surname Ambrose is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Otto I defeated the Magyars in 955. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Ambrose family

The surname Ambrose was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. The name Ambrose derives from Saint Ambrose (340-397,) who was bishop of Milan and one of the greatest founders of the Christian Church.

Early History of the Ambrose family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ambrose research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1790, 1816 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Ambrose History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ambrose Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Ambrose include Ambrose, Ambross, Ambros, Ambroess, Ambrossi and many more.

Early Notables of the Ambrose family

More information is included under the topic Early Ambrose Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ambrose Ranking

In the United States, the name Ambrose is the 1,969^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Ambrose migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ambrose or a variant listed above:

Ambrose Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Ambrose, who settled in Virginia in 1621
Joshua Ambrose, who settled in New England in 1635
Isack Ambrose, aged 18, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 2
Henry Ambrose, who landed in New England in 1640 2
Henry Ambrose, who arrived in Hampton, NH in 1642 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ambrose Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Ambrose, who was a bonded passenger, arriving in America in 1700
Peter Ambrose, who landed in Virginia in 1716 2
Mathies Ambrose, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1732 2
Johann Ambrose, who landed with his wife Elizabeth in Georgia in 1733-34
Jo and Eliz Ambrose, who settled in Georgia with their daughter in 1733
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ambrose Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Ambrose, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Maryland in 1840 2
William C Ambrose, who arrived in New York in 1843 2
G Ambrose, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
Nicholas Ambrose, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1857 2
Charles Ambrose, who landed in Arkansas in 1861 2

Ambrose migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ambrose Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Margaret Ambrose U.E., United Empire Loyalist who settled in Carleton, Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 3
Lt. Michael Ambrose U.E., United Empire Loyalist who settled in Saint Martins, Saint John County, New Brunswick c. 1783 3

Ambrose migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ambrose Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Francis Ambrose, (Ginger), (b. 1813), aged 15, Irish labourer born in Cork, Ireland who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Miss Margaret Ambrose, English laundress who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. John Ambrose, (b. 1821), aged 27, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia 6
Susan Ambrose, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Punjab"
Anne Ambrose, aged 25, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Velocity"

Ambrose migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ambrose Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Ambrose, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merchantman' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1855 7
Mr. Thomas Benjamin Ambrose, (b. 1822), aged 38, Scottish carpenter from Lanark travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 8
Mrs. Mary Ambrose, (b. 1833), aged 27, Scottish settler from Lanark travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 8
Mr. Thomas William Ambrose, (b. 1855), aged 5, Scottish settler from Lanark travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 8
Mr. John Andrew Ambrose, (b. 1859), aged 1, Scottish settler from Lanark travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ambrose (post 1700) +

Charles Edward Ambrose, American artist and educator
Professor Warren Ambrose (1914-1995), American mathematician at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sharon Ambrose (1939-2017), American politician, member of the Council of the District of Columbia (1997–2007)
Stephen Edward Ambrose (1936-2002), American historian and biographer of U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon
Lauren Ambrose (b. 1978), born Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso, American actress
Ashley Ambrose (b. 1970), retired American NFL football player
Elizabeth Z. Ambrose, American Republican politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Beaver County 2nd District, 1954 9
Donetta W. Ambrose (b. 1945), American politician, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 1993- 9
Daniel Webster Ambrose Jr. (1896-1992), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948 9
Daniel W. Ambrose, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virgin Islands, 1956, 1960 9
... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ambrose family +

HMS Hood

Mr. John Ambrose (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 10

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm