Show ContentsPusch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the ancestors of the Pusch surname. Pusch was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, and they often attached the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," to the surname. Often, the use of "von" was a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Pusch was a name for someone who lived near bushes or a thicket. The distinguished name Pusch is derived from the Old German word busc, which means thicket or brush.

Early Origins of the Pusch family

The surname Pusch was first found in the Rhineland, where the family became noted for its many branches within the region, many houses acquiring a status and influence which rivaled that of the landed aristocracy. In their later history some branches were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they distinguished themselves through their contributions to the social, political, and economic developments of the nation. The earliest individual bearer of this name to be mentioned in ancient chronicles was Cuentzlin in Busch of Wuerttenberg (1381).

The Bussche variant claims descent from Lord Everhardus de Busche in 1255. The Lords von dem Bussche were originally from the County of Ravensberg on the border area of Ravensberg and the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück.

Early History of the Pusch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pusch research. Another 241 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1234, 1387, 1475, 1534, 1623, 1704, 1729, 1793, 1832, 1840, 1842, 1908 and 1913 are included under the topic Early Pusch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pusch Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Pusch include Busch, Buesch, Buscher, Buescher (Westphalia), Bush, Buesh, Busher, Buesher, Busche, Bushe, Pusch, Bussche, Bussch and many more.

Early Notables of the Pusch family

Notables with the name Pusch during this period were Isaac Posch (died 1623), who was an Austrian composer and organist. Clamor von dem Bussche, was a Lieutenant General in the Hanoverian army. He fought with distinction in the army of the Duke of York during the revolution, and died in battle in 1793. His son, Hans von dem Bussche, lost his right arm fighting at the...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pusch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Pusch migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Pusch, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Pusch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Gottfired Pusch, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1749
  • Gottfried Pusch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 1
Pusch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Marie Wilhelmine Elis Pusch, who arrived in America in 1854 1

Bismarck
  • Herbert Pusch (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 2


  1. 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)
  2. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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