Brubaker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Brubaker. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname found in the Rhineland was the local name, a name taken on from a place-name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of a village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Brubaker was given to someone who lived beside a brook. Brubaker is a topographic surname, which was a type of local name given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Brubaker family

The surname Brubaker was first found in the Rhineland, where the name Breubach came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the family relocated and established themselves in new areas. The acquisition of new estates, combined with their great contributions to society, served to elevate their social status.

Early History of the Brubaker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brubaker research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brubaker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brubaker 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 Brubaker include Breubach, Breubache, Breuback, Breubacke, Brubach, Bruback, Brubacher and many more.

Early Notables of the Brubaker family

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

Brubaker Ranking

In the United States, the name Brubaker is the 3,301^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Brubaker migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Brubaker, or one of its variants above:

Brubaker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Wil Henrich Brubaker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2

Brubaker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. H. A. Brubaker, aged 45, who landed in America, in 1893
Miss A. Brubaker, aged 34, who landed in America, in 1894
Mrs. A. P. Brubaker, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896

Brubaker Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

F. B. Brubaker, who settled in America, in 1903
Howard Brubaker, aged 23, who settled in America, in 1905
Benjamin Brubaker, aged 62, who immigrated to America, in 1905
Grace Brubaker, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1909
Edith N. Brubaker, aged 52, who landed in America, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brubaker (post 1700) +

James D. Brubaker (1937-2023), American film producer and production manager, known for Bruce Almighty (2003), The Right Stuff (1983) and Harold and Maude (1971)
Robert Brubaker, American operatic tenor
Robert Brubaker (1916-2010), American character actor best known for his roles on Gunsmoke and 40 Guns to Apache Pass
Wilbur Lee "Bill" Brubaker (1910-1978), professional American baseball player
Bruce Ellsworth Brubaker Jr (b. 1941), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Jeffrey Joseph Brubaker (b. 1958), retired American NHL ice hockey forward
Rockne Lee Brubaker II (b. 1986), American pair skater, 2008 & 2009 U.S. National Champion
Bill Brubaker (1910-1978), American professional baseball player
Harold Brubaker, American politician, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly
Christine Brubaker, Canadian actress
... (Another 2 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/
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)