Aminoff family

The Aminoff family (Аминовы/Аминевы) is a Swedish-Finnish noble family of Holy Roman and Russian origin. The family has produced statesmen, officers, academics, merchants, industrialists, and landowners. The Aminoff family is known for its active participation in commerce and industry.

History
Ratsha moved to Kyiv from the Holy Roman Empire in 1146. It is assumed that Ratsha moved to Kyiv from Bohemia. Later he moved from Kyiv to Novgorod.

The family hails from the clan of Ratsha, a court servant (tiun) to Prince Vsevolod II of Kiev. It originates with boyars from Veliky Novgorod.

Later it split in two branches in the 17th century after the Time of Troubles: the Russian and Nordic.

The Russian and Nordic Aminovs are a lineage of the Kuritsyn boyar family, who, in turn, were offspring of the Novgorodian Kamensky clan. The Russian branch is extinct.

The Nordic branches and their members reside in Sweden and in Finland, and its genealogy branches are represented in Sweden's and Finland's Houses of Nobility.

Russian branch
The Aminov family claimed their descent from the legendary Ratsha, who is also believed to be the progenitor of the Pushkins, Buturlins and other families. The Aminovs are actual descendants of the Kamensky family through boyar to Grand Duke Vasily I of Moscow Roman Ivanovich Kamensky, who owned the Kamenka of Bezhetsky uyezd, Veliky Novgorod. Roman Ivanovich was a descendant of Gavrila Alexich, boyar to Prince Alexander Nevsky, through which they are direct descendants of Ratsha. Ratsha's descendant Ivan Yuryevich (Volkov) syn Kurytsyn nicknamed Amin ', the son of Yuri Ggirogyevich Kamensky nicknamed 'Volk' (i.e. wolf) is the actual progenitor of the family. Nikita Ivanovich Aminov took part in the siege of Kazan in 1552, where he was killed in action. The Russian branch died out in the 18th century.

Swedish branch
In 1611, Fyodor Grigoryevich Aminov surrendered Ivangorod Fortress to the Swedes during the Ingrian War and switched to their side. He moved to the Swedish territory with his immediate family with nine other families called Russian bayors. Soon he was appointed the governor of the Swedish Gdov.

The Swedish branch was established in 1618 when the great-grandson of Nikita Aminov, Fyodor Grigoryevich Aminov (c. 1560 – March 28, 1628), voivode at Ivangorod, became of a member of the Swedish nobility. Fyodor Aminov was the son of Boyar Gregori Aminov, who served Tsar Feodor I of Russia, and Princess Helena Golitsyn, a member of the House of Golitsyn, and daughter of Great Novgorod's Governor, Prince Ivan Jurivich Golitsyn.

Aminev and his sons were naturalized into the Swedish nobility with a new surname Aminoff by the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus.

Adolf Aminoff, the son of Colonel Esaias Aminoff, followed Queen of Sweden Chirstina to Rome in 1654. It is believed that his descendants live in Italy.

Prominent members of the family were Lieutenant General Henrik Johan Aminoff, Lieutenant General Carl Mauritz Aminoff, Major General Adolf Aminoff, and Major General Johan Fredrik Aminoff. They were members of the Royal Order of the Sword in Sweden.

The Swedish branch of the Aminoff family was introduced at the Swedish House of Nobility in Stockholm in 1650, No. 446. Swedish and Finnish branches served the Swedish Empire, Age of Liberty, and Gustavian Era.

The Finnish War 1808-1809 separated the two branches between Sweden and the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland in Russian Empire.

After 1809 Gregor Carl Georg Aminoff was Adjutant and Cabinet Chamberlain to King Gustav V of Sweden Alexis Aminoff was an Ambassador and Chamberlain of Prince Carl, Duke and Princess Ingeborg, Duchess of Västergötland. Professor Gregori Aminoff (1883-1947) was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science. Gregori Aminoff Prize has been named after him.

Gregor Aminoff was Chamberlain and Master of Hunt for King of Sweden Gustaf VI Adolf and King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Aminoffs are awarded with Order of the Sword, Order of the Polar Star, Order of Vasa. and Order of the Seraphim.

Finnish branch
Finnish family members are descendants of Captain Gregori Aminoff and Märta Ramsay, a descendant of the Scottish Clan Ramsay. Märta Ramsay was the daughter of Major Johan Ramsay (d. 1648), and the granddaughter of Major General Hans Ramsay (d. 1649).

Grand Duchy of Finland 1809-1917
The Finnish branch of the Aminoff family, a subbranch of the Swedish branch, was introduced at the Finnish House of Nobility in the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland in Russian Empire in 1818.

Major General, Member of Privy Council, Count Johan Fredrik Aminoff was a founding member of the Committee for Finnish Affairs and Vice-Chancellor at the Imperial Academy in Turku. Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland Alexander I granted him the title of Count in 1819.

Lieutenant Colonel Berndt Jonas Aminoff commanded a Finnish Jaeger Regiment in Saint Petersburg during the Napoleonic Wars between 1812 and 1815.

General of the Infantry, Count Adolf Aminoff was a member of the imperial retinue of Emperor Alexander II. Emperor Alexander III made a visit to Count Aminoff's Riilahti Manor in Bromarv, Finland.

Colonel Berndt Adolf Carl Gregori Aminoff enhanced the construction of the House of Nobility in Helsinki. He was twice a member of Diet of Finland. Aminoff received Imperial Orders of Saint Stanislaus, Saint Anna, and Saint Vladimir from Emperors Nicholas I and Alexander II.

Emperor Nicholas II visited the Aminoff family's Riilahti Manor in 1907.

Aminoffs were awarded with the Order of Saint George, the Imperial Order of Saint Anna, the Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus, and the Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir.

Republic of Finland
World War I and the Russian Revolution 1917 demolished the Russian Empire and the Russian imperial family. As a result the Grand Duchy of Finland gained its independence in 1917. Members of the Aminoff family remained in the new Republic Finland.

Ivar Aminoff was the Minister of Defence of Finland, Colonel Torsten Aminoff was the Commander of the Finnish Air Force, Adolf Aminoff was Major General in the Finnish Army, Carl Göran Aminoff was the Minister of Foreign Trade of Finland. Baron Cecil Aminoff and Baron Dieter Aminoff led family businesses.

The Aminoff family in Finland is known for its active participation in commerce and industry. Members of the family were actively involved in commerce and industry during the 19th century. However, during the 20th century family members founded several prominent companies. The Finnish business life has seen Aminoffs as founders, owners, board members, investors, and business leaders.

The Finnish branch is reportedly seen as one of the biggest noble families of Finland, in terms of number of members, along with Schauman, Blåfield and Ehrnrooth.

Aminoffs have been awarded with the Order of the White Rose of Finland, the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Notable members

 * Henrik Johan Aminoff (1680-1758), Lieutenant General, Finland's Military Commander-in-Chief
 * Carl Mauritz Aminoff (1728–1798), Lieutenant General, Director at the House of Nobility in Stockholm
 * Adolf Aminoff (1733–1800), Major General, Commander of the Savo Brigade
 * Johan Fredrik Aminoff (1756–1842), Count, General, Statesman
 * Johan Gabriel Aminoff (1767–1828), Major General
 * Gustaf Aminoff (1771–1836), Major General, Governor
 * Berndt Jonas Aminoff (1775–1823), Lieutenant Colonel, Battalion Commander
 * Germund Fredrik Aminoff (1796–1876), Professor
 * Adolf Aminoff (1806–1884), General, Count
 * Berndt Adolf Carl Gregori Aminoff (1809–1875), Statesman, Colonel, Member of Estates General
 * Fredrik Aminoff (1824–1884), Baron, Member of Estates General
 * Johan Fredrik Aminoff (1847–1892), Count, Chamberlain, Member of Estates General
 * Adolf Aminoff (1856–1938), Major General
 * Ivar Aminoff (1868–1931), Defense Minister of Finland, Politician
 * Gregor Carl Georg Aminoff (1872–1934), Adjutant and Cabinet Chamberlain to King Gustav V of Sweden
 * Alexis Aminoff (1897–1977), diplomat and Chamberlain of Duke and Duchess of Västergötland
 * Carl Göran Aminoff (1916–2001), CEO of Insurance Company Varma and Minister for Foreign Trade of Finland
 * Marianne Aminoff (1916–1984), Actress
 * Gregor Aminoff, b. 1926), Baron, Master of Hunt, Chamberlain to King of Sweden Gustaf VI Adolf and King Carl XVI Gustaf
 * Dieter Aminoff (1941-2016), Baron, Philanthropist, Chairman, Board Member, CEO