Research the Earhart, Ehrhardt, Eret families and associated
variant spellings. Post your findings or questions in the group
forum. Latest Activity: Jan 11, 2012 First found in Bavaria,
where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable
families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was
identified with the great social and economic evolution which
made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of
the nation. The great European flow of migration to North
America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and
continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to
those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or
religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the
chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the
widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when
many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania,
Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German
settlement centered in Ontario and