Buskirk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Buskirk is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived near a bush. The name Buskirk is derived from the Old Norman buskr, which means bush. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Gilbert and William le Busc in Normandy 1180-95. 1

Early Origins of the Buskirk family

The surname Buskirk was first found in Yorkshire. It is likely that the name was first assumed by someone living in this county near a prominent bush. The first known bearer of the name was Richard de la Busce, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1181. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Thomas atte Busk; Agnes at Busk; and Thomas Bosc. 3 Earlier the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had included Hamo le Bosco and Henry del Busk, but no county was listed.

Early History of the Buskirk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buskirk research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1181, 1275, 1305, 1379, 1668, 1772, 1780, 1796, 1800 and 1862 are included under the topic Early Buskirk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buskirk Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Buskirk are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Buskirk include: Busk, Buske, Busce, Bosc, Buscke, Bosk, Busker and many more.

Early Notables of the Buskirk family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Buskirk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buskirk Ranking

In the United States, the name Buskirk is the 12,677^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Buskirk migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Buskirk or a variant listed above:

Buskirk Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lourens Andriessen Buskirk, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Buskirk (post 1700) +

George A. Buskirk, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2008 6
Venturita Van Buskirk, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1948 7
Thomas Van Buskirk (1861-1937), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1893; State Court Judge in Indiana, 1919-31 7
S. B. Van Buskirk, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for judge of South Dakota State Supreme Court 3rd District, 1889 7
Michael B. Van Buskirk, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Cayuga County 2nd District, 1885-86 7
Lawrence Van Buskirk, American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate, 1850-53 7
John L. Van Buskirk, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1936 7
James Van Buskirk, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1916 7
Hiram Van Buskirk, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1865 7
George Van Buskirk, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1928 7
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Buskirk Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Suaviter sed fortiter
Motto Translation: Mildly, but firmly

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html