Eisenhart Family Groups

Introduction

Members of the Eisenhart and related surname families in North America can trace their pre-immigration origins to the German states, with the overwhelming majority having roots in Württemberg. However, we are still assessing the links between some of these family groups, and for simplicity we have divided them into categories based on current research and DNA. Our hope is that as more data and scientific information become available, some of these uncertainties will be removed.

  1750s Immigrants

The largest family groups in the United States today are descendants of three immigrant ancestors who came to the Colony of Pennsylvania in the 1750s. Of these three immigrants, first cousins Andreas Eisenhart II and George Eisenhart/Isenhart were born in the village of Dachtel in the Black Forest District in Württemberg. The third 1750s immigrant, Conrad Eisenhart, is also believed to have come from this area.

Andreas Eisenhart II settled in the Lehigh Valley in what was then Northampton County PA. His descendants form the “Lehigh Eisenhart and Eisenhard” family group, which can be further subdivided into three large family groups, the Allentown/Macungie Eisenhards and Eisenharts, the Northumberland Co. Eisenharts, and the Spring Valley Eisenharts.

George Eisenhart (who changed the spelling of his name to Isenhart in the 1780s) originally settled in York Co. PA, although he spent the latter portion of his life in the most westerly areas of Pennsylvania. The majority of Isenhart families living in the United States today are descendants of his sons Jacob Isenhart and George Isenhart II.

Conrad Eisenhart arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 and settled in York Co. PA. His place of birth has not yet been discovered, but various clues suggest that he was from Württemberg, possibly from either the Black Forest or the Neckar District. Many Eisenhart families in North America can trace their ancestry to Conrad Eisenhart of York Co.

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  Family Groups of Uncertain Origin

There are several groups of Eisenhart surname descendants whose ancestry is not currently well understood. The largest group consists of Isanharts and Isenharts shown by research and DNA matches to be descendants of Jacob Isenhart/Isanhart born about 1770 in Pennsylvania. To date, Jacob Isanhart cannot be linked to any of the 1750s immigrants listed above. Another family group of historical importance consisted of descendants of Christopher Eisenhart. He was the earliest known Eisenhart immigrant to North America, arriving before 1700. He raised his family in Westchester Co. New York, although to our knowledge, this direct family line died out in the early 1800s.

  Later Immigrants

A surge in immigration from the German states occurred after 1800. Once again, the numerical majority of these immigrants came to the United States from Württemberg, although family groups with origins in Prussia and Thuringia have also been found. Research and DNA testing have uncovered genetic relationships between some of these later Eisenhardt immigrants and their distant cousins, the 1750s immigrants. However, there are still many questions to be answered and one of the primary goals of this web site is to further unravel the links between these family groups.

Later Immigrants:  click here to learn more

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