Essen or von Essen is the surname of a Baltic German and Swedish noble family.

History

The first known ancestor was Thomas Von Essen (d. 1615-1627) who was from Lääne län in Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

. 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 with the number 158.

Another notable family member was Hans Henric von Essen, Swedish field marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

. Another was Ivan Essen

Ivan Essen

Ivan Nikolaevich Essen was a Russian lieutenant general and military governor of Riga at the start of the Patriotic War of 1812.-Pre-1812:...

(1759–1813), a Russian lieutenant general and military governor of Riga

Riga

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...

. Count Nikolai Essen

Nikolai Essen

Nikolai Ottovich Essen was a Russian naval commander and admiral from the Baltic German Essen family. For more than two centuries his ancestors had served in the Navy, and seven had been awarded the Order of St...

 hailed from the Livonia

Livonia

Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...

n branch of the family, but not Count Peter Kirillovich Essen

Peter Kirillovich Essen

Count Peter Kirillovich Essen was a Russian General of the Infantry in 1819 and a count of Baltic German origin. He belongs to the 'Essen' – bourgeois family from Pärnu...

 who was born a commoner

Commoner

In British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...

.

Notable family members

• Fredrik von Essen
  Fredrik von Essen
  Fredrik von Essen, born 30 July 1831 Hömbs parish, Skaraborg County, died 3 October 1921 in Stockholm, was a Swedish politician, Baron, Marshal of the Realm and landlord . Married to Ebba Aurora, born Brahe 1838th....
  
   (1831–1921), Swedish baron, Marshal of the Realm, and Finance Minister
• Siri von Essen
  Siri von Essen
  Siri von Essen was a Swedish-speaking Finnish noblewoman and actress. She was married to Baron Carl Gustaf Wrangel between 1872–76, with whom she had a daughter, Sigrid. After their divorce, she married the Swedish dramatist and writer August Strindberg; they were married between 1877–91...
  
   (1850–1912) , Finland-Swedish actress, wife of August Strindberg
  August Strindberg
  Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
  
  

Sources

This article is fully or partially based on material from Nordisk familjebok

Nordisk familjebok

Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...

, 1904-1926.

External links

• Essen Bygg AB - Swedish Company created by a Von Essen