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![Show Contents]() Brabeke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany
Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Brabeke. In the German provinces, hereditary surnames were adopted after the 12th century, and names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the preposition is frequently dropped from surnames of this type. The Brabeke family originally lived in the duchy of Brabant, which was in what is now Belgium and the Southern Netherlands. Early Origins of the Brabeke familyThe surname Brabeke was first found in Westphalia, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Early History of the Brabeke familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brabeke research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1256, 1688, 1702, 1776 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Brabeke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Brabeke Spelling VariationsOne can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Brabeke include Brabeck, Brabbeck, Brabech, Brabeche, Brabek, Brabeke, Brabekke and many more. Early Notables of the Brabeke familyAnother 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brabeke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Brabeke familyMany Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of 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 settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them: Mardi Brabeckh, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749. Heinrich Brabek came to Philadelphia in 1749.
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