Show ContentsBohr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The historical and enchanting region of Austria is the birthplace of the distinguished family name Bohr. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Otto I defeated the Magyars in 955. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Bohr family

The surname Bohr was first found in Austria and Bavaria, 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 Bohr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bohr research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1538, 1761, 1781, 1786, 1803, 1809, 1846, 1859 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Bohr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bohr 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 Bohr include Bauer, Baur, Bauerr, Bauerre, Bower, Boerema, Bohr, Burr and many more.

Early Notables of the Bohr family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Bohr were Bruno Bauer (1809-1882), who was a controversial German theologian, historian, and student of Hegel. Ludwig Amandus Bauer (1803-1846)...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bohr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bohr Ranking

In the United States, the name Bohr is the 14,401st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Bohr migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bohr were

Bohr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mattys Bohr, who arrived in New York in 1709 [2]
  • Johan Adam Bohr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 [2]
  • Friedrich Bohr, who landed in America in 1749 [2]
  • Johan Matthias Bohr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 [2]
  • Johan Michel Bohr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bohr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mathias Bohr, who landed in Brazil in 1827 [2]
  • F Bohr, who landed in Galveston, Texas in 1851 [2]
  • Joseph Bohr, who arrived in America in 1867 [2]

Australia Bohr migration to Australia +

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

Bohr Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Rud. Bohr, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Malvina Vidal"

Contemporary Notables of the name Bohr (post 1700) +

  • Harald August Bohr (1887-1951), Danish mathematician son of Niels Bohr
  • Christian Bohr (1855-1911), Danish physician and physiologist
  • Aage Neils Bohr (b. 1922), Danish physicist and the son of Margrethe and Niels Bohr who, like his father, received a Nobel Prize in Physics (1975)
  • Niels Henrik David Bohr (1885-1962), Danish physicist who made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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