Welker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

The Welker surname is derived from the Middle High German term "walker" denoting a person who cleaned and thickened cloth, a fuller. One of the chief industries in Germany during the centuries when surnames became hereditary was the weaving of coarse woolen cloth. After the raw cloth left the loom, it had to be cleansed, scoured, and thickened, and this was done by the walker.

Early Origins of the Welker family

The surname Welker was first found in Germany where records of the name date back to the thirteenth century. In 1253 one Sigelo dictus Welkere was recorded in Weissenburg, and in 1209 Bruno Welkiner was a citizen of Cologne.

Early History of the Welker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Welker research. The years 1333, 1784 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Welker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Welker Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Walker, Welker, Walcher, Welcker and others.

Early Notables of the Welker family

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

Welker Ranking

In the United States, the name Welker is the 4,373^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Welker migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Welker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andereas Welker, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749
Andreas Welker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Leonard Welker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Jacob Welker, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1768 2

Welker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barnhardt Welker, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Mr. Fried. Welker, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Colchis"
Conrod Welker, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1853 2
Phil Adolph Welker, who arrived in America in 1854 2
Joh Welker, who landed in America in 1856 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Welker (post 1700) +

Ralph Q. Welker (1911-1981), American politician, Member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1967-1972)
Andrew Welker (b. 1989), American soccer player for the Harrisburg City Islanders (2011-)
Duke Welker (b. 1986), American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013
Kristen Welker (b. 1976), American television journalist for NBC News
Wesley Carter "Wes" Welker (b. 1981), American NFL football wide receiver
Franklin W. "Frank" Welker (b. 1946), American actor and voice-over artist, best known for his role as Fred Jones from the Scooby-Doo franchise
David Anthony Welker (b. 1964), American artist, known for his large-scale paintings, portraits, murals, and commercial illustration
Michael Welker (b. 1947), German Protestant theologist and professor of Systematic theology
Heinrich Welker (1912-1981), German theoretical and applied physicist; inventor of the transistron
Hans Welker (1907-1968), German footballer who played for the Germany National Team in 1931
... (Another 5 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)