Contents [hide]

Bear History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Bear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

The modern state of Germany is the glorious birthplace of the surname Bear. By and large, hereditary surname were formed in Germany when most of the German states were a part of the Holy Roman Empire. At this time, as the population of Europe swelled and travel became easier, people began to encounter others sharing their own name and they avoided confusion by adopting a second name. A common form of surname found in Germany are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Bear was a name for a person who had the strength of a bear. Ancient records reveal the name Bear is derived from the Old German word ber, which means bear.

Early Origins of the Bear family

The surname Bear was first found in Silesia and Bohemia, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always influential in social affairs, the family became a well-known and integral part of those regions.

Early History of the Bear family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bear research. Another 233 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1334, 1592, 1655, 1666, 1700, 1744, 1771, 1782, 1786, 1787, 1811 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Bear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bear Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Beer, Beere, Beare, Beerr, Beerre, Bear, Beerli (Swiss), Beeren, Beren, Beering and many more.

Early Notables of the Bear family

Notables of the period with the surname Bear were Johann Beer also Bahr, Behr or Bär, (1655-1700); an Austrian author, court official and composer; and Christian Theophil Chrisostomus Beer, who came from a prominent family in Loewenberg, Silesia, and was ennobled in 1787. He began his career as a major in the Russian army, and eventually became a State Advisor at the royal courts of Russia. Joseph Beer (sometimes written Boer), was a remarkable clarinet-player...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bear Ranking

In the United States, the name Bear is the 4,614^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Bear migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bear Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Bear, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 2
Win Bear, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 2
Hans Jacob Bear, aged 17, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1730 2
Anna Maria Bear, aged 43, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1730 2
Hendrick Bear, aged 6, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1730 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bear Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Bear, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 2
Charles Bear, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1851 2
John Bear, who landed in America in 1853 2
Eustaquio Bear, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1884 2

Bear Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. William John Bear, (b. 1875), aged 29, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th June 1904 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 3

Bear migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bear Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Bear, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
Mr. William Bear, (b. 1813), aged 35, Cornish miner from Germoe, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Fairlie" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 7th August 1848 5
Mrs. Mary Bear, (b. 1815), aged 33, Cornish settler from St. Breock, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Fairlie" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 7th August 1848 5
Mr. William Bear, (b. 1840), aged 8, Cornish settler from Germoe, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Fairlie" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 7th August 1848 5
Mr. John Bear, (b. 1842), aged 6, Cornish settler from St. Breock, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Fairlie" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 7th August 1848 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bear 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:

Bear Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James P. Bear, British school master travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 6
Mr. Bear, British settler travelling from London via Cape ports aboard the ship "Pembroke Castle" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th November 1889 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Bear (post 1700) +

Gregory Dale "Greg" Bear (1951-2022), American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction who wrote over 50 books
Danny Little Bear (1926-1991), American professional wrestler
Elizabeth Bear (b. 1971), American fiction author, winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and winner of the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Short Story
Peter D. Bear, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1977-78; Member of Wisconsin State Senate 13th District, 1979-80 7
Perry Bear, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1924 7
Max L. Bear, American politician, Mayor of Pensacola, Florida, 1936-37 7
Franklin Bear, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 5th District, 1962 7
Alexander Bear, American Democratic Party politician, Member of University of Nebraska Board of Regents, 1875-76; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 1876; Mayor of Norfolk, Nebraska, 1896-97 7
Isabel "Joy" Bear AM (1927-2021), Australian chemist from Camperdown, Victoria, the first woman to be awarded the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Leighton Medal
Anthony Bear, Professor of Cybernetics at Manchester University

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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html