The family was already noble from earliest times. The first documented ancestor is Fredericus van Hekeren van der Ese who was an adviser to Reginald II of Guelders. His grandson Frederik van Heeckeren van der Eze was the head of the Heeckerens faction during the War of the Guelderian Succession. Through his marriage with 'Lutgardis van Voorst, whose ancestors owned both the castle Rechteren near Dalfsen as well as the castle Voorst near Zwolle, the surname van Rechteren entered the family. In 1432, Frederik's grandson, Frederik van Hekeren genaamd van Rechteren married Cunegonde van Polanen. Their son Otto van Hekeren genaamd van Rechteren inherited Castle Rechteren and became the ancestor of the counts of Rechteren. Otto's brother, Zeger van Hekeren genaamd van Voorst, became the ancestor of the present-day barons van Voorst tot Voorst. The van Heeckeren family is related to both families. In 1705, Joachim Heinrich Adolf van Rechteren was granted by Emperor Joseph I. the Imperial Count. His son, Johann Eberhard Adolf, inherited from his mother, Countess Amalie zu Limpurg-Speckfeld, the county of Limpurg-Speckfeld. In 1806 the branch of Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld was mediatised. The German branch of the Counts Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld died out in 1995. Icho baron von und zu Massenbach adopted the surname of his mother, Luitgard Countess von Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld, and carries on the Rechteren surname in Germany. Castle Rechteren in Dalfsen became a property of Herman van Voorst, ancestor of the Rechteren family, in 1315. and it is still owned by the family. The family also owns Huize Almelo and the Enghuizen estate.
Dr. D.P.M. Graswinckel and Mr. H. Hardenberg, 'Het Archief van het Kasteel Rechteren'.
A.F.H. van Heeckeren,'Genealogie van de geslachten Van Voorst, Van Heeckeren, Van Rechteren' in: Heraldieke Bibliotheek.
Prof. Dr. J.G.N. Renaud et al., 'Het kasteel Voorst- Macht en val van een Overijsselse burcht'.
J. P h. de Monté Verloren, 'Het wapen en de graventitel van den Nederlandschen tak van het geslacht van Rechteren Limpurg', in: De Nederlandsche Leeuw 57, k. 166–168.
