Show ContentsBehr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Behr family

The surname Behr was first found in Lower Saxony, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. The name derives itself from the German word for bear ("der Baer").

Early History of the Behr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Behr research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1703, 1792, 1798, 1872 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Behr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Behr Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Behr, Bahr (northern Germany), Barr, Bar, Barre, Baer and many more.

Early Notables of the Behr family

Notables of the time included

  • members of the Behr family who possessed extensive estates in Mecklenburg

Behr Ranking

In the United States, the name Behr is the 7,358th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Behr is ranked the 6,116th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [2]


United States Behr migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Behr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Samuel Behr, who landed in Philadelphia in 1727
  • Jacob Behr, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1749 [3]
  • Johann Jac Behr, who arrived in America in 1749 [3]
  • Jacob Behr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 [3]
  • P Henry Behr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Behr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G Behr, who arrived in North America in 1832 [3]
  • Daniel Behr, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1835 [3]
  • Julie Behr, who landed in Texas in 1846 [3]
  • Mr. Michael Behr, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole"
  • Frederich Behr, aged 26, who arrived in Missouri in 1847 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Behr migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Behr Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Georg Behr, who landed in Canada in 1777
Behr Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Pauline Behr, who arrived in Quebec in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Behr (post 1700) +

  • Otho Behr Jr., early American paint manufacturer, founder of Behr Process Corporation (stylized BEHR) in 1947
  • Ottomar von Behr (1810-1856), German-born, American settler to Texas where he became a noted meteorologist and naturalist
  • Ira Steven Behr (b. 1953), American Primetime Emmy nominated television producer and screenwriter, best known for his work on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
  • Hans Hermann Behr (1818-1904), German-born, American doctor, entomologist and botanist
  • William Leon "Bill" Behr (1919-1997), American professional NBA basketball player who palyed for the Hammond Ciesar All-Americans (1940-1941)
  • Jason Behr (b. 1973), American actor, known for his work in Roswell (1999-2002), The Grudge (2004) and Skinwalkers (2006)
  • Lawrence Behr, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1964 [4]
  • Sepp Behr (1930-2023), German alpine skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics
  • Winrich Behr (1918-2011), German officer during World War II; he was sent by Paulus in 1943 to try to convince Hitler of the hopelessness of winning the war on the Eastern Front, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Franz Behr (1837-1898), German composer of songs and salon pieces for piano
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Karl Howell Behr, aged 26, American First Class passenger from New York City, New York who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 5 [5]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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