Show ContentsBar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bar family

The surname Bar was first found in Lower Saxony, where the name Bar was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Bar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bar research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1701 is included under the topic Early Bar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bar Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bar, Barr, Barre, Bars, Barres, Ber, Baer, Berr, Baerr, Berre, Baerre, Bers, Baers, Berres and many more.

Early Notables of the Bar family

Notables of the time included

  • the von Bar family of Lower Saxony

Bar Ranking

In France, the name Bar is the 2,061st most popular surname with an estimated 3,046 people with that name. 1


United States Bar migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Heinrich Bar, who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1709
  • Heinrich Bar, who settled in Lancaster in 1709
  • Johannes Bar, age 40, who arrived in New York City in 1710
  • Johannes Bar, age 40, who arrived in New York, New York in 1710
  • Johannes Bar, Jr. who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1728 aboard the ship "Mortonhouse John Coultas" 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Bar, age 24, who settled in Savanna, Georgia in 1823
  • John Bar, age 24, who settled in Savanna, Georgia, in 1823
  • A Bar, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • L Bar, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • Joh Heinr Bar, who arrived in America in 1853 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Bar migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Bar, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Prince of Wales

Contemporary Notables of the name Bar (post 1700) +

  • Heinz Bär, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 220 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Jean-François de Bar, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 3
  • Simon Bar Cochba, Jewish leader in Palestine

Bismarck
  • Johann Bär (1922-1941), 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 4


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)
  3. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Jean-François Bar. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  4. 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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