Essen family


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

History

The first known ancestor was Thomas von Essen 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 and Hans Henrik von Essen, were elevated to Baron in 1717 and 1719. Hans Henrik von Essen was later elevated to comital rank.
Another was Magnus Gustav von Essen, a Russian lieutenant general and military governor of Riga. Nikolai von Essen, 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