Show ContentsSolo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Solo

What does the name Solo mean?

The Rhineland, in Germany, is the ancient home of the Solo family. Traditionally, the German people only used one name, but as the population increased they were forced to adopt hereditary surnames. The most common type of name in Germany was derived from the name of a parent of the bearer. To this class belong patronymic names, derived from the father, and metronymic names, derived from the mother. Solo comes from the baptismal name Solomon. This name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew given name Shelomo, which is derived from the word shalom, which means peace. This name was popular among both Jews and Christians during the Middle Ages. Among Christians, it was also a nickname type of surname for a person who was considered wise or for a person who played the role of King Solomon in a miracle play.

Early Origins of the Solo family

The surname Solo was first found in the Rhineland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Solo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Solo research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1740, 1785, 1797, 1814, 1824, 1828 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Solo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Solo Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Solo include Salamon, Salomons, Salaman, Salamann, Salomann, Solomon, Soloman, Solomann and many more.

Early Notables of the Solo family

Notables with the name Solo during this period were Haym Salomon (1740-1785), an early American patriot, who was a supporter of the American Revolution and a member of the "Sons of Liberty."Charles Kensington Salaman, born in London, March 3, 1814; began music early—violin, PF., and composition. In 1824 was elected student of the Royal Academy...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Solo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Solo migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Solo, or one of its variants above:

Solo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Eslegun Del Solo, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 1
  • Antonio Solo, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1840 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Solo (post 1700) +

  • Richard A. Solo, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1980 2


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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