Bochen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Bochen family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Bochen is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Bochen was given to someone who lived near a beech tree, a beech wood, or a beech grove. The name Bochen is derived from the German word buohe, which means beech tree and the name Buchholz, which means beech grove, is also the name of several places in Germany. Bucher is also traceable to the German towns named Buch and Buchenwald and natives of these towns often adopted the name as their own.

Early Origins of the Bochen family

The surname Bochen was first found in Bavaria, where the name Bucher made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early Europe. The name Bucher became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses where members continued to play important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, which resulted a each group sought to enhance its power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Bochen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bochen research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bochen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bochen 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 Bochen include Bucher, Bucker, Bukker, Buchen, Buchert, Bucken, Buchere, Buckere, Buecher, Buecker, Buekker, Buechen, Buecken, Buchere, Buckere, Bocher, Bocker, Bochen, Bocken, Bochere, Bockere, Boecher, Boeker, Boecker, Boechen, Boeken, Boechere and many more.

Early Notables of the Bochen family

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

Bochen 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 Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Bochen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Bochen, who landed in Virginia in 1665 1

Bochen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. Bochen who, accompanied by his wife, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804
J Bochen, aged 28, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 1

Citations +

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)