Hess Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Hess Family

8,299 Hess records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

8,299Records in our database

1834Earliest birth

2Documented families

3Biographies

See the Hess family trees →443 Hess families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

8,299 Hess records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Ohio (1,794 of 8,299)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: James A Hess, born 1846, Kansas
Earliest in the county histories: J. F. Hess, born 1834

Most common first names

John213 Mary192 William171 Robert168 George139 Charles132 James108 Helen97 Frank92 Dorothy86 Margaret77 Donald76

Documented families

Hess families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Hess family of Berrien CountyMichiganStarts: William A. Hess (b. 1836)Most recent: Homer E. Hess (b. 1859)

Family records from county histories (1)

T. H. HessChampaign County, OhioStarts: T. H. Hess, from Harrison County, West VirginiaMost recent: Sherod C. Hess, Will T. Hess

The earliest Hesss in the county histories

Andrew HessBorn 1806Crawford County, Ohio John HessBorn 1813Child of John Hess and Sarah (Marsteller) HessClark County, Ohio Joseph H. HessBorn 1814, Rockingham countySaline County, Missouri John HessBorn 1818Darke County, Ohio Samuel J. HessBorn 1824Johnson County, Iowa Thomas Moore HessBorn 1825Child of John Moses Hess and Elizabeth (Moore) HessFranklin County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

443 Hess families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

13 Hess death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

37 Hess people in 28 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (3)

J. F. HessBorn 1834 · Stark County, Ohio William A. HessBorn 1836 · Berrien County, Michigan Homer E. HessBorn 1859 · Berrien County, Michigan

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Hess family

Found your Hess? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Hess genealogy: FAQ

Where were Hess ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 8,299 Hess records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Ohio (1,794), then Missouri (1,221) and Wisconsin (1,207).

How far back does the Hess family tree go?

The earliest Hess birth in our database is 1846: James A Hess, Kansas. The old county histories name J. F. Hess, born 1834. We have pieced together 443 Hess family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Hess family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Hess family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.