Brodbeck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancient German region called the Rhineland is where Brodbeck was first used as a hereditary surname. While Germans initially used single names, they eventually adopted surnames to alleviate confusion with others of the same name. As the population grew and people traveled more, the confusion rose - and so did surname use. Many German surnames come from the work done by the original bearer of the surname. Brodbeck is an occupational name for a person who was a baker of bread. The surname Brodbeck was originally derived from the Old German word brot which referred to bread. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries.

Early Origins of the Brodbeck family

The surname Brodbeck was first found in the Rhineland, where the name could be considered to have made a major contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of the early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever-changing territorial profile. The name derives from the profession of baker, whose main product was bread: "Brotbaecker" took on a variety of spellings, often dropping the "t." In the northeastern regions the name added a "-ke" and became Brobeke.

Early History of the Brodbeck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brodbeck research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brodbeck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brodbeck Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Brodbeck include Brobeck, Brobache, Brobacker, Brobakke, Borbeke, Brobecker, Brobeck, Brodbeck and many more.

Early Notables of the Brodbeck family

More information is included under the topic Early Brodbeck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brodbeck Ranking

In the United States, the name Brodbeck is the 13,100^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Brodbeck migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Brodbeck were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Brodbeck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Adam Brodbeck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 with his wife Elizabeth Zehnder and their two daughters
Adam Brodbeck, who arrived in America in 1749 2
Catharina Brodbeck, who arrived in America in 1749 2
Claus Brodbeck, who landed in America in 1749 2
Hans Geo, Brodbeck Jr., who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brodbeck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fredk Brodbeck, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 2
Jacob Brodbeck, who arrived in New York, NY in 1835 2
Georg Brodbeck, who arrived in Texas in 1846 2
Karl August Brodbeck, who landed in America in 1854 2
Fr Brodbeck, aged 17, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brodbeck (post 1700) +

Joshua Brodbeck, American concert organist
May Brodbeck (1917-1983), American philosopher of science
Andrew R. Brodbeck (1860-1937), American Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1917-1919)
John Brodbeck, American Republican politician, Chair of Carroll County Republican Party, 2003 3
Carl A. Brodbeck, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Eaton District, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960 3
Andrew R. Brodbeck (1860-1937), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 20th District, 1913-15, 1917-19; Defeated, 1910, 1914, 1918 3
Alice Brodbeck, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1956 3
Dan Brodbeck, Canadian record producer, recording engineer/mixer and recording engineering professor

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html