Beekman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancestral home of the Beekman family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Beekman is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a baker in Old German. Beekman is also a German local name for someone who lived by a stream, which was originally derived from the German word "bach" which means stream.

Early Origins of the Beekman family

The surname Beekman was first found in Augsburg, Bavarian Swabia, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging mediaeval society. The name became prominent as many branches of the family founded separate houses and acquired estates in various regions, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Beekman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beekman research. Another 213 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1578, 1604, 1673, 1685, 1714, 1735, 1750, 1782, 1788, 1813, 1854 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Beekman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beekman 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 Beekman include Bach, Bache, Bacher, Baechle, Bachle, Back, Backe, Bacch, Bacche, Baach, Baacher and many more.

Early Notables of the Beekman family

Prominent among members of the name Beekman in this period include Johann (Johannes) Bach (1604-1673), a German composer and musician of the Baroque; and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), who is considered by many to be the supreme giant of musical history. Of his twenty children, Karl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) was possibly the greatest composer, and may have exerted a stronger influence on Viennese classicism than his...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beekman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beekman Ranking

In the United States, the name Beekman is the 15,275^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Beekman is ranked the 345^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,497 people with that name. 2

Beekman 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 Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Beekman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Wilhelmus Beekman, who arrived in New York in 1647 3
Wilhelm Beekman, who landed in New York, NY in 1647 3
Catalina DeRoots Beekman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1649 3

Beekman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John F Beekman, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1806 3
Stephen Beekman, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1851 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Beekman (post 1700) +

John P. Beekman, American politician, Member of New York State Senate 3rd District, 1845-47 4
John J. Beekman, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County, 1780-81, 1782-83; Mayor of Albany, New York, 1783-86 4
John H. Beekman, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County, 1782-83 4
John Beekman Jr., American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County, 1803-04 4
James W. Beekman, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 6th District, 1849; Member of New York State Senate 5th District, 1850-53 4
Henry M. T. Beekman, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1920 4
Harry E. Beekman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1920 4
George C. Beekman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1876; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Monmouth County, 1879-81 4
Duryea Beekman, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Schoharie County, 1879 4
Berthold Beekman, American politician, Representative from New York 10th District, 1880 4
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Beekman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In cruce spes mea
Motto Translation: In the cross is my hope.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html