Merckelbach history is a family project begun in honor of Adriaan Märckelbach (1896–1965), a man of remarkable character, but thanks to the assistance of others the genealogy has been branched out toward all Merckelbachs extant.

The ancestry goes back to the 10th century when the male line was known as Von Ballenstedt. Early in the 12th century, the direct ancestors of the Merckelbachs became known as Van Anstel which two centuries later changed to Anstelrode (with slight variations). In the year 1374, the knight Reinert Vaes Huyn van Amstenrade acquired from the duke of Brabant a fief known as Upper Manor of Merkelbeek (or Merkelbeich, or Merckelbach).