| ![Show Contents]() Bourque History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname is one of the Anglo-Norman names that came to Ireland in the 12th century. The surname Bourque is derived from the Old English word "burh," which is derived from the Old German word "burg," the common Germanic word for a fortification. It seems likely that the first family to bear this surname would have lived in or near a prehistoric fort situated on a hill. In the Norman fashion, surnames created from place names or geographic locations were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. Early Origins of the Bourque familyThe surname Bourque was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where the family name is descended from the Norman noble William Fitzadelm de Burgo who went to Ireland in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland and was the succeeded Strongbow as Chief Governor. "Robert de Burgh, Earl of Moreton in Normandy, son of Harlowen de Burgh, by Arlotta, his wife, mother of William the Conqueror, participated with his half-brother in the triumph at Hastings, was created Earl of Cornwall, and received, as a further recompense, grants of seven hundred and ninety-three manors. His son, William Earl of Cornwall, who, rebelling against the Henry I., joined Robert of Normandy, and led the van at the battle of Tenchebray. He fell into the hands of his opponents and was sent prisoner to England, where he was treated with much cruelty, and detaining him in captivity for life. He left two sons: I. Adelm, from whom descended the Burghs, Earls of Ulster, the noble House of Clanricarde, and the various families of Burke, so widely scattered over the south west district of Ireland; and II. John, whose son, Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, was Justiciary of England, temp. Henry III., and one of the greatest subjects in England." 1 Great stretches of land were given to this family in the year 1177. Richard Oge de Burc, son of William, became the "Lord Justice of Ireland" under King Henry II in 1177 and was regranted the lands of his father the following year. 2 Richard Mor de Burc, the older son of William, was the ancestor of the family name Bourke or Burke. They formed several septs, the two most important having been the MacWilliam Uachtar sept of county Galway, and the MacWilliam Lochtar sept of county Mayo. It should be noted that not all of the family were in Ireland as some were found in Knaresborough, in the West Riding of Yorkshire in ancient times. "At the time of the Domesday Survey it formed part of the royal demesnes, and was given by the Conqueror to Serlo de Burgh, Baron of Tonsburg, in Normandy, who had accompanied that monarch into England, and by whom its stately castle, now a ruin, was originally built, on the rocky heights north of the river Nidd." 3 Another noted source confirms Knaresborough as a point of origin, but has a different Norman baron: " 'Burgh' must here stand for Serlo de Burgh, a powerful Northern baron in the time of the Conqueror, who built Knaresborough Castle, and appears to have taken his name from the manor of Burgh, in Yorkshire. " 4 Early History of the Bourque familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bourque research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1227, 1503, 1544, 1572, 1582, 1590, 1598, 1601, 1604, 1629, 1635, 1642, 1647, 1657, 1666, 1667, 1672 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Bourque History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bourque Spelling VariationsDuring the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Bourque to have been recorded over the years include: de Burgh, Burke, Bourke, Burk, Bourk, Gillick and many more. Early Notables of the Bourque familyNotable amongst the family up to this time was Theobald Bourke, 8th Mac William Iochtar and lord of Lower (North) Connacht, died 1503; Ulick Ceann Burke (died 1544), 12th Clanricarde and 1st Earl of Clanricarde; Richard Sassanach Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde (died 1582); Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde, (died 1601), Irish peer; Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde (1572-1635), an Irish nobleman; Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde (1604-1657), was an...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bourque Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bourque World RankingIn the United States, the name Bourque is the 2,678th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Bourque is ranked the 347th most popular surname with an estimated 13,129 people with that name. 6 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Bourque is the 281st popular surname. 7
 Bourque migration to the United States | + |
Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Bourque:
Bourque Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Magdeleine Bourque, who arrived in South Carolina in 1755-1756 8
Bourque Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Ella Bourque, aged 34, who immigrated to America, in 1909
- Nowest Adeor Bourque, aged 34, who landed in America, in 1909
- Jorge Bourque, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Havana, Cuba, in 1913
- Marie Bourque, aged 41, who immigrated to Dorchester, U. S. A., in 1920
- Roseanne Bourque, aged 36, who settled in Lynn, U.S.A., in 1922
| Bourque migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Bourque Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- Marie Gagnon Bourque, aged 55, who settled in Assomption, Quebec, Canada, in 1914
- Georgette Bourque, aged 29, who immigrated to Sherbrooke, Canada, in 1921
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bourque (post 1700) | + |
- Dion Bourque, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Louisiana 3rd District, 2000 9
- Charles Bourque, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1944 9
- Wayne Bourque (b. 1959), Canadian North American Native boxing champion
- Renée Bourque (b. 1977), American actress
- Phil Bourque (b. 1962), American professional NHL ice hockey player
- Pat Bourque (b. 1947), American Major League Baseball player
- Curt Bourque (b. 1967), American Thoroughbred-racing jockey
- Chris Bourque (b. 1986), American professional NHL ice hockey player
- James W. Bourque PC (1935-1996), Canadian First Nations activist
- Thomas-Jean Bourque (1864-1952), Canadian politician from New Brunswick
- ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Bourque family | + |
SS Caribou - Mr. Aloysius Bourque, (Burke), British passenger who was Royal Air Force from Riber Bourgeois, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking
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: Ung roy, ung foy, ung loy
Motto Translation: One king, one faith, one law.
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
- 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 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Bourque migration to the United States 
Bourque migration to Canada 
Ireland
England
