Groeben (also Gröben or von der Groeben) is the name of an old German noble family, originating in the Altmark region. The lords von der Groeben belonged to the nobility of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, and moved from there to the Margraviate of Brandenburg, then to East Prussia. Branches of the family still exist today.
The Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels mentions another family of the same name, whose ancestor was Hans Gottlob Greben (1724-1777), a lieutenant under the Kingdom of Poland, the Electorate of Saxony and the Kingdom of Prussia. His son Friedrich Wilhelm (1774-1839) was a Prussian lieutenant general, and he and his descendants used the name and coat of arms of von der Groeben without objection.
The first known mention of the family is from records dated to 29 November 1140 with Luiderus de Grebene. Gribehne (also Grubene, Grobene, Cyprene, Grebene or Gröben), the probable ancestral seat, is an abandoned village near Calbe in the Salzlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt.
It is rumoured that the family originally came from the Duchy of Saxony. Family members possibly came to Brandenburg in 927 with King Henry. There are also said to the 12 old Saxonian noble families who elected from amongst themselves the Vierherren of the Kingdom.
The origins of the name Groeben are not known. Possibly it comes from the Slavic Grob'n meaning trench, grave or dam. In this case the land-owning family von Gröben would have taken the name of its possession, the village of Gröben, as was the usual practice.
Alexander von der Groeben (born 1955), German judoka and sports reporterArthur von der Groeben (1850-1930), Prussian General of the InfantryCarolin von der Groeben (born 1995), German actress and voiceover artistChlotilde von der Groeben (1887-1983), private teacher at the court of the TsarErnst Ludwig von der Gröben (1703–1773), chamber president of the Kurmark, lord at Löwenbruch, gave his name to the city of LudwigsfeldeFriedrich von der GroebenFriedrich Gottfried Graf von der Groeben (1726–1799), Prussian ministerGeorg Dietrich von der Groeben (1725–1794), Prussian lieutenant general, military writer and head of the military department in the Directorate-GeneralGeorg Reinhold von der Groeben (1817-1894), Prussian General of the CavalryGünther Wilhelm Karl Graf von der Groeben (1832–1900), Prussian lieutenant generalHans von der Groeben (1907–2005), German diplomat and publisherHarald Graf von der Groeben (1856-1926), Prussian lieutenant generalHeinrich Wilhelm von der Groeben (1657–1729)Hermann Friedrich von der Groeben (1828–1902), German major generalIda von der Groeben (1791–1868), Pietist, authorKarl von der Gröben (1788–1876), Prussian General of the CavalryKarl Ernst August von der Gröben (1750–1809), German major generalKarl Hermann von der Groeben (1826–1898), German major generalKarl Konrad von der Groeben (1918–2005), entrepreneur, philanthropistKlaus von der Groeben (1902–2002), German administrative lawyerKonrad Heinrich von der Groeben (1683–1746), Prussian major generalLudwig von der Groeben (1579–1620)Max von der Groeben (born 1992), actor and voiceover artistOtto Friedrich von der Groeben (1657–1728), Brandenburg scientist and travelerPeter von der Groeben (1903–2002), German major generalSelma Gräfin von der GröbenUlrike von der Groeben (born 1957), German television presenterWolfgang von der Groeben (born 1937), administrative lawyer