Essen family
Essen or von Essen is the surname of a Baltic German and Swedish noble family.[1]
| Essen | |
|---|---|
| noble family | |
 Coat of arms of the Essen family | |
| Country | Germany Sweden Russia Finland |
| Place of origin | Lääne län, Estonia |
| Founder | Thomas von Essen |
| Titles | Baron von Essen Count von Essen |
| Traditions | Lutheranism |
History
The first known ancestor was Thomas von Essen (d. 1615–1627) who was from Lääne län in Estonia. His son Alexander von Essen received Swedish nobility, but was not introduced in the Swedish House of Nobility. His descendants, Reinhold Wilhelm von Essen (1669–1732) and Hans Henrik von Essen (1674–1729), were elevated to Baron in 1717 and 1719. Hans Henrik von Essen was later elevated to comital rank.
Another was Magnus Gustav von Essen (1759–1813), a Russian lieutenant general and military governor of Riga. Nikolai von Essen (1860-1915), Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy, hailed from the Livonian branch of the family, but not Count Peter Essen who was born a commoner.
Notable family members
- Magnus Gustav von Essen (1759–1813), Russian general
- Hans Henric von Essen (1775–1824), Swedish statesman
- Carl Gustaf von Essen (1815—1895), Finnish Pietistic priest
- Fredrik von Essen (1831–1921), Swedish baron, Marshal of the Realm, and Finance Minister[2]
- Siri von Essen (1850–1912), Finnish-Swedish actress
- Nikolai Ottovich von Essen (1860–1915), Russian admiral
- Thomas Von Essen (b. 1945), American civilian administrator, New York City Fire Commissioner
- Max von Essen (b. 1974), American actor and singer
Magnus Gustav von Essen
Hans Henric von Essen
Fredrik von Essen
Siri von Essen
Sources
This article is fully or partially based on material from Nordisk familjebok, 1904–1926.