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Already from the 1950’s several family members of different branches have undertaken genealogic research for the origin and backround of the name Macrander. The information on this website is based on genealogic research and/or help of (a.o.): Erick Waldschmidt † (Germany); Frank Macrander (Hoorn, Netherlands - webmaster); Gerard Macrander (Arnhem, Netherlands); Jimmie Dale Macrander (Sunnyvale, USA); Max Macrander † (Warrenville, USA); Mea Macrander (Rotterdam, Netherlands); Prof. Dr. Siegfried Rösch † (Germany); Steven Macrander † (Zutphen, Netherlands) and Stephan Macrander (Bocholt, Germany). This website is constructed by me in order to gather all spreaded results of the several, original researches - supplemented with results of new research - to bundle it, make it easily accessible and to preserve it all in the benefit of the descendants.
Because of the fact that the origin of the name Macrander was not clear and also too rare not to presume a bond between all namesakes, my curiosity was awoken. One encounters the name Macrander with several spellings, such as MacRander, Marcrander, Makrander, Markrander, Macklander, Maclander, Machlander, Mercander, McCrander and Maekrander. In most cases this is the consequence of wrong spelling in the past. In most cases, but not always. The names Macklander and McLander for instance, does also exists in Scottland around the year 1650 and 1800. It seems unlikely that these families are connected to the Macrander family.
The Macranders are originally not - what could be assumed - of Scottish, but of German origin. The Macrander family (formerly: Langemann) has her roots in Prussia (Germany). From Hessen and Rheinland to be more exact. Especially the city of Wetzlar has a prominent place in our family history. Many Macranders were born and raised in Wetzlar. The German historian Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Hahn wrote in his book "Altständisches Bürgertum zwischen Beharrung und Wandel - Wetzlar 1689-1870" about the family Macrander as a "Ratsfamilie”. For instance, Philips Josias Macrander (*1629-†1719) was even part of the patriciate (the administrative elite) of the city of Wetzlar. He was mayor of the city, twice. At that time (the 17th century) Wetzlar was a "Reichstadt" and chair of the "Reichskammergericht".
Because of the fact that the origin of the name Macrander was not clear and also too rare not to presume a bond between all namesakes, my curiosity was awoken. One encounters the name Macrander with several spellings, such as MacRander, Marcrander, Makrander, Markrander, Macklander, Maclander, Machlander, Mercander, McCrander and Maekrander. In most cases this is the consequence of wrong spelling in the past. In most cases, but not always. The names Macklander and McLander for instance, does also exists in Scottland around the year 1650 and 1800. It seems unlikely that these families are connected to the Macrander family.
The Macranders are originally not - what could be assumed - of Scottish, but of German origin. The Macrander family (formerly: Langemann) has her roots in Prussia (Germany). From Hessen and Rheinland to be more exact. Especially the city of Wetzlar has a prominent place in our family history. Many Macranders were born and raised in Wetzlar. The German historian Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Hahn wrote in his book "Altständisches Bürgertum zwischen Beharrung und Wandel - Wetzlar 1689-1870" about the family Macrander as a "Ratsfamilie”. For instance, Philips Josias Macrander (*1629-†1719) was even part of the patriciate (the administrative elite) of the city of Wetzlar. He was mayor of the city, twice. At that time (the 17th century) Wetzlar was a "Reichstadt" and chair of the "Reichskammergericht".
The main question in the genealogic research: “Who is the founder of the Macranders?”
Arnold Langemann (*1566-†1620) of Mengeringhausen (Waldeck) can in fact be considered as founder of the Macrander family, after all it was he who changed his name into Greek (= Grecization or Hellenization) after his study about the year 1599, and changed it in Macrander. In those times, among men of learning, it was popular to change your name into Latin or, to a lesser degree, into Greek¹. In Greek the name Langemann becomes: makr(os) (= long) and ander (= man).
The Meertens Institute (part of the Dutch Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences) says:
"In Germany, but also in Sweden, compositions on -ander < (Greek) anèr 'man' were popular, which made it possible to translate physical characteristics and job titles into Greek (Grecization). Some of them are also penetrated to the Netherlands and even now exists as surnames, for example Macrander, composed of Greek makros 'long' + ander < anèr 'man', see Johnannes Macrander, either Langemann (BBKL V 1893, p 542)" [Rentenaar-2003, p 89].
But what was the precise reason of this name change?
Since the beginning of the second half of the fifteenth century a new elite had formed, parallel to the strictly hierarchically structured late medieval society. The ‘nobilitas literaria’. A nobility which derived its identity not through birth and privileges, but through education (the ‘studia humanitatis’²), personal achievement and a shared interest in antiquity. Also Crotus Rubianus/Johann Crotus (formerly Johannes Jäger), Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus (formerly Gerrit Gerritszoon) belonged to this new elite, the so-called renaissance humanists.
The ‘studia humanitatis’ includes a cycle of disciplines covering grammar, rhetoric, poetics, history and moral philosophy. These qualifications opened up to these men new and up to that time closed career opportunities in the territorial and municipal administrations, in schools and universities, at the courts and in the church.
The importance of the humanists in German educational and cultural history is remarkable since they represented a tiny minority compared to the total population. The humanists felt themselves to be members of the ‘sodalitas literaria’ (an association of literary men) and they disdained the uneducated ordinary mass, the ‘profanum vulgus’. Due to the need to set themselves off from the ordinary uneducated people, the humanists latinized or - in a lesser degree - grecized their ordinary names and next to it they frequently began to use coats of arms.
A second motive for these name changes is to mask the modest social backround of a humanist. The majority of the humanists came from bourgeois or even peasant families.
Ironically, the humanists created a similar difference in social positions between the scholars and the 'ordinary' people, as it was with the old difference in social positions between them and the hereditary nobility, that they so despised.
Arnold Langemann (*1566-†1620) of Mengeringhausen (Waldeck) can in fact be considered as founder of the Macrander family, after all it was he who changed his name into Greek (= Grecization or Hellenization) after his study about the year 1599, and changed it in Macrander. In those times, among men of learning, it was popular to change your name into Latin or, to a lesser degree, into Greek¹. In Greek the name Langemann becomes: makr(os) (= long) and ander (= man).
The Meertens Institute (part of the Dutch Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences) says:
"In Germany, but also in Sweden, compositions on -ander < (Greek) anèr 'man' were popular, which made it possible to translate physical characteristics and job titles into Greek (Grecization). Some of them are also penetrated to the Netherlands and even now exists as surnames, for example Macrander, composed of Greek makros 'long' + ander < anèr 'man', see Johnannes Macrander, either Langemann (BBKL V 1893, p 542)" [Rentenaar-2003, p 89].
But what was the precise reason of this name change?
Since the beginning of the second half of the fifteenth century a new elite had formed, parallel to the strictly hierarchically structured late medieval society. The ‘nobilitas literaria’. A nobility which derived its identity not through birth and privileges, but through education (the ‘studia humanitatis’²), personal achievement and a shared interest in antiquity. Also Crotus Rubianus/Johann Crotus (formerly Johannes Jäger), Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus (formerly Gerrit Gerritszoon) belonged to this new elite, the so-called renaissance humanists.
The ‘studia humanitatis’ includes a cycle of disciplines covering grammar, rhetoric, poetics, history and moral philosophy. These qualifications opened up to these men new and up to that time closed career opportunities in the territorial and municipal administrations, in schools and universities, at the courts and in the church.
The importance of the humanists in German educational and cultural history is remarkable since they represented a tiny minority compared to the total population. The humanists felt themselves to be members of the ‘sodalitas literaria’ (an association of literary men) and they disdained the uneducated ordinary mass, the ‘profanum vulgus’. Due to the need to set themselves off from the ordinary uneducated people, the humanists latinized or - in a lesser degree - grecized their ordinary names and next to it they frequently began to use coats of arms.
A second motive for these name changes is to mask the modest social backround of a humanist. The majority of the humanists came from bourgeois or even peasant families.
Ironically, the humanists created a similar difference in social positions between the scholars and the 'ordinary' people, as it was with the old difference in social positions between them and the hereditary nobility, that they so despised.
(1. Latin, Greek and Hebrew are the three holy languages.)
(2. Humanism, a) culture movement in the 15th and 16th century, that put human autonomy in central (against the ecclesiastical authority) and
studied the classical authors in special; b) modern philosophy that put humans in center and do not worship religion.)
(2. Humanism, a) culture movement in the 15th and 16th century, that put human autonomy in central (against the ecclesiastical authority) and
studied the classical authors in special; b) modern philosophy that put humans in center and do not worship religion.)
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(The colours of the North German Confederation in 1866)
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(Reichsstadt Wetzlar, 1655)
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