Show ContentsBakken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished German surname Bakken is derived from the German "Beck," meaning "baker," and was first borne as an occupational name.

Early Origins of the Bakken family

The surname Bakken was first found in East Prussia and Livonia, where the Bakken family came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status.

Early History of the Bakken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bakken research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bakken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bakken Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bakker, Baker, Bakkar, Bakar and others.

Early Notables of the Bakken family

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

Bakken Ranking

In the United States, the name Bakken is the 9,474th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Bakken migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bakken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Guro Bakken, who settled in Wisconsin in 1845-1856
Bakken Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Louis Bakken, who arrived in Montana in 1900

Contemporary Notables of the name Bakken (post 1700) +

  • Earl Elmer Bakken (1924-2018), American inventor, engineer, businessman and philanthropist; founder of Medtronic, where he developed the first external, battery-operated, transistorized, wearable artificial pacemaker in 1957
  • S. A. Bakken, American politician, Mayor of Menomonie, Wisconsin, 1950 2
  • Arve Bakken, American politician, Representative from Michigan 17th District, 1976 2


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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