Broeker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Broeker family name began to be used in the powerful German region of Prussia. Broeker was one of the German patronymic names, derived from the given name of the father of the initial bearer. Broeker comes from near a bridge. The family name Broeker was originally derived from the German word brücke, which in turn was originally derived from the Old German brugga, which means bridge. However, in the Low German regions, the name Broeker stems from the Low German word brauk which means swamp. Alternatively, in the eastern parts of Germany, the surname Broeker originated as a nickname type of surname derived from the Wendish (Slavic) word bruk, which means beetle or bug.

Early Origins of the Broeker family

The surname Broeker was first found in Bavaria, where the name Bruck became noted for its many branches with the region where each house acquired a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region.

One of the first records of the family was Ocko I tom Brok (de Broke) (c. 1345-1389), Chieftain of the Brokmerland and the Auricherland in East Frisia, a former territory on Germany's North Sea coast (1376-1389.) His son, Ocko II tom Brok (1407-1435) was also Chieftain of the Brokmerland and the Auricherland in East Frisia.

Early History of the Broeker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broeker research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1515 and 1554 are included under the topic Early Broeker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broeker Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Broeker include Bruch, Brucke, Brukke, Breuck, Breucke, Breuch, Breukk, Brueck, Bruech, Bruecke and many more.

Early Notables of the Broeker family

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

Broeker migration to the United States +

Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Broeker or a variant listed above:

Broeker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bernh Heinr Broeker, who landed in America in 1844 1
A Cath Broeker, who arrived in America in 1846 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Broeker (post 1700) +

William J. Broeker, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1900 2
Peter Broeker (1926-1980), German-born, Canadian racing driver

Citations +

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