Bier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German surname Bier is generally thought to be derived from the word "bier" and "mann, " which translates to "beer-man." Thus the original bearer of the name was likely a tavern owner, a brewer, or someone whose occupation involved beer.

Alternatively, the name could have been a nickname for someone who had "bear-like" qualities and in "bear man."

Early Origins of the Bier family

The surname Bier was first found in the region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, where the ancestors of bearers of the Bier surname were an integral part of the local communities, and contributed to the development of the Feudal System that became the backbone of early European society. Records of this surname in Germany date back as far as the thirteenth century. In the year 1290, there were two men bearing this name: Rudolf, and Wernher genannt (called) die Biermenlin in the town of Esslingen. There is also a record of a Werner der Bierman, whose name appeared in a document in Wurttemburg in 1349.

Early History of the Bier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bier research. Another 25 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1349, 1772 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Bier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bier Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bier, Bierman, Biermann, Behrman, Behrmann and others.

Early Notables of the Bier family

Notables with the name Bier during this period were

Gottlob Benedict Bierey , born at Dresden July 25, 1772, and instructed in music by Weinlig...

Bier Ranking

In the United States, the name Bier is the 14,981^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Bier migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Bier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 2
Joseph Bier, who landed in America in 1739 2
Lenerd Bier, aged 27, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 2
Peter, Bier Jr., who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Johan Philip Bier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Caspar Bier, who arrived in America in 1832 2
Heinrich Bier immigrated to the New World in 1836 with his wife and 10 children
Henry Bier, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1836 2
John Bier, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Augusta Bier, who landed in America in 1852 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bier (post 1700) +

Nicholas Bier, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Greene County, 1954 3
Louis Bier, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Ceiba, 1897-98 3
H. A. Bier, American politician, Mayor of Kennewick, Washington, 1911-12 3
George W. Bier, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at New Martinsville, Virginia, 1848-53 3
Martin "Max" Bier (1854-1934), German chess master
August Karl Gustav Bier (1861-1949), German surgeon and the pioneer of spinal anaesthesia, eponym of the "Bier block"
Susanne Bier (b. 1960), Danish film director, film producer and screenwriter

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html