A German surname, Armbruster comes from the Old German term of ‘armbrust’ which meant crossbow. It refers to a soldier using a crossbow weapon or a person who make a crossbow. Variations in spelling for Armbruster include Armbrust, Armbroster, Armbriester and Armpruster. The regions in Germany of Wurttemberg and Baden as well as northern Switzerland have had many of the Armbruster families over the centuries. In England the two areas with Armbruster populations has traditional been the city of London and Durham county to the north. In Scotland the county of Midlothian had the greater Armbruster households. Within the United States the Armbruster families settled in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Louisiana and California. Famous: Peter Armbruster (a scientist in Germany creating the newest radioactive substances in the late 20th century), Charles A. Armbruster (professional baseball player) and Robert Armbruster (a music songwriter, conductor and composer).