Glauber

This ancient German surname of pre 7th century origins, is recorded in many forms including Glaub, Glaube, Glauber, Glaubin, Glaubert, Glawer, Glaver, and Kluc, Klug, Kluge, Klugel, etc, both basic spelling forms having the same meaning, or so it is claimed. The reason for the popularity of the surnames is not difficult to find. The name means 'wise' or 'full of faith', and as such was originally given either to an elder of the tribe, one renowned for his counsel, or to a layman who kept 'the faith'. Like most names of this type, it became a baptismal name of endearment and was given as a personal name generally to the eldest son in a family. From this the name developed into a surname from the 13th century onwards. Records in Germany tend to be rather haphazard. This is due both to the succession of wars and consequent social and academic upheaval, and the fact tat Germany did not become a unified state in any meaningful sense until the emergence of Bismark in the mid 19th century. However we have been able to obtain some very early recordings and this include Mertin Kluge in the charters of the town of Habelschwerte, in 1397, Johannes Baltazer Glaub in the registers of Rheinberg, Rheinland, on December 9th 1632, and Johann Michel Glauber, at Mittelfranken, Bayern, on April 18th 1764. The coat of arms associated with the name has the blazon of a silver field, on a red fess between three acorns, a wheatsheaf, the sign of prosperity. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hans Glawer, which was dated 1383, the city register of Brunn, Prussia, during the reign of Emperor Wenceslas of the German Empire, 1378 - 1403. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.