Show ContentsBeker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Beker family

The surname Beker was first found in Prussia, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.

Early History of the Beker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beker research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1623, 1635, 1647, 1679, 1682, 1733, 1803 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Beker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beker Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Beker include Becker, Becquer, Becher, Beccher, Beckker, Bekker and many more.

Early Notables of the Beker family

Notable figures of the time with the name Beker were Dietrich Becker (ca. 1623-1679), a German Baroque violinist and composer; and Johann Joachim Becher (1635-1682), a German physician, alchemist, precursor of chemistry, scholar and adventurer.Alfred Julius Becher, born of German parents at Manchester, 1803; educated at Heidelberg, Göttingen, and Berlin. His life was one of perpetual movement and adventure. Before he was 40 he had lived in Elberfeld, Cologne, Düsseldorf, the Hague, and...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Beker migration to the United States +

Much of German history has been shaped by the state of Prussia. It was an enduring military power until after the Second World War. At that time, the state was abolished altogether and its land divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. While some Prussians were content to remain in those countries, others moved away, many of them migrating to North America. They entered the United States mostly through Philadelphia, moving on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others went to Canada, settling on the prairies and in the province of Ontario. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Beker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ludwick Beker, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 [1]
  • Hilarius Beker, who arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1763 [1]
Beker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Philip Beker, aged 48, who arrived in Missouri in 1847 [1]
  • Peter Beker, who landed in America in 1853 [1]
  • Henry Beker, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1855 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Beker (post 1700) +

  • Nicolas Léonard Beker, Count de Mons, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 [2]


  1. 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)
  2. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Nicolas Beker. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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