Beecher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Beecher was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person who lived near a stream, or a person who lived near a prominent beech tree, or area wooded with beech trees. The two different landmarks were referred to by the same Old English root, beche.

Early Origins of the Beecher family

The surname Beecher was first found in London, where they had been granted estates by King William, their liege lord, after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Beecher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beecher research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1568, 1574, 1600, 1628, 1640, 1667, 1674, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1709, 1713 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Beecher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beecher Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Beecher, Beacher, Becher and others.

Early Notables of the Beecher family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

James Beecher of Penshurst

Beecher Ranking

In the United States, the name Beecher is the 6,133^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Beecher family to Ireland

Some of the Beecher family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beecher migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Beecher or a variant listed above:

Beecher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Beecher, from Middlesex, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Talbot" as part of the Winthrop Fleet was in Charlestown after
Mrs. Christian Beecher, from Middlesex who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Talbot" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 2
Thomas Beecher, who landed in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1632 3
Christian Beecher, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1635
John Beecher, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 3

Beecher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

FeItc Beecher, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 3

Beecher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr Beecher, aged 36, who landed in Key West, Ha in 1840 3
F Beecher, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1842 3
Michael Beecher, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849 3
Frank Beecher, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 3
A.M. Beecher, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beecher Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Adellees Beecher, aged 61, who settled in America, in 1906
B.A. Beecher, aged 37, who settled in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1907
C. W. Beecher, who landed in America, in 1907
August Beecher, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1908
Annie Beecher, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Beecher (post 1700) +

John Beecher (1904-1980), American activist poet
Elizabeth Beecher (1898-1973), American screenwriter
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), American preacher and lecturer, Brooklyn, N.Y
Philemon Beecher, American lawyer and politician, member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio
Lyman Beecher (1775-1863), American preacher and author
Catherine Esther Beecher (1800-1878), American educationist
David Beecher, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bethany, 1833-34 4
David Beecher, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Madison County, 1814-15 4
Andrew Beecher, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bethany, 1835 4
Amos Beecher, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Barkhamsted, 1827 4
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html