Barkowski History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Barkowski. In the German provinces, hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Barkowski family originally lived in or near one of the numerous places named Bork in Germany and in bordering Slav countries. Barkowski is a topographic surname, a type of local surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The toponym Barkowski is derived from the Old German word Burg, which meant castle or fortress.

Early Origins of the Barkowski family

The surname Barkowski was first found in Westphalia, where the name Borch was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Barkowski family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barkowski research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1617, 1681, 1707, 1747 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Barkowski History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barkowski 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 Barkowski include Bork, Borck, Borcke, Borcker, Bork, Borkk, Borkke, Borch and many more.

Early Notables of the Barkowski family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barkowski Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barkowski 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:

Barkowski Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Barkowski, aged 39, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Marianne Barkowski, aged 39, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Francisker Barkowski, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Johanna Barkowski, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Stanislan Barkowski, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)