Please join us for our next reunion in Orange, Virginia
July 18, 19, and 20, 2024.
See Publications for details.
Founded in 1968 as the National Pontius Association
by Joseph Philip Pontius of Keokuk, Iowa.
The Pontius Family Association is dedicated to research, education, and the preservation and publication of family history and genealogy. We also strive to keep in contact with our German relatives through our international reunions with their Pontius Family Association.
The association has members who spell the surname four different ways: Pontius, Pontious, Punches, and Pontzius. Though these are the most common there are at least 20 spellings of the surname. About 70% of the Americans and 100% of the Germans use Pontius.
At this time, one branch of the Pontius family tree can be traced to 1570 with the birth of Niclas Pontius in the Saarland of German. The starting point for much of the Pontius family history in America begins with the arrival in 1738 of Anna Rosina, the mother, two sons, Johannes (1717-1792) and Nicholas (1728-1794) and daughter Maria, who married George Christopher Herrold. A brother Friedrich (1715-1782) remained in Germany and we meet with many of his descendants during our international reunions.
Not all of our members trace their genealogy back to these two brothers, that is not a requirement for membership. There were many Pontius immigrants that came over in later years from the other four German and the French Pontius lines. All are welcome to join our association.
More information is available about the German research by Rudi Pontius by clicking on German Ancestry here or on the menu to the left.