Pekar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Pekar is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a wool packer having derived from the Old English word packe. 1 Another source claims that the name was derived for a "person 'employed in barrelling or packing up herrings.' In London, the occupation of the 'packer-and-presser' is a well-known and lucrative one." 2

Early Origins of the Pekar family

The surname Pekar was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times where they were Lords of the manor of Bucklebury. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, this manor was held by a Norman noble, Hugolin the Steersman, and consisted of a mill and a church, and the church still has Norman carvings. Conjecturally the Packers descend from this noble.

Not withstanding the Berkshire reference, the first record of the family was found in Bedfordshire. Walter le Packere was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Later, the Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum listed Mathew le Packere. 1

Early History of the Pekar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pekar research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1618, 1645, 1648, 1661, 1682 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Pekar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pekar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Pekar were recorded, including Packere, Packer, Packers, Packar, Packars, Packare, Pacher and many more.

Early Notables of the Pekar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Packer of Shellingford Manor, Berkshire, Clerk of the Privy Seal; and his son, Robert Packer (1614-1682), an English politician, Member of...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pekar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pekar migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Pekar arrived in North America very early:

Pekar Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alois Pekar, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1907 3
Josef Pekar, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1907 3
Frank Pekar, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1908 3

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)