Broek History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Prussia, Germany is the ancestral home of the Broek family. The Germans began using hereditary surnames in the 12th century. Broek is an occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a near a bridge. The family name Broek was originally derived from the German word brücke, which in turn was originally derived from the Old German brugga, which means bridge. However, in the Low German regions, the name Broek stems from the Low German word brauk which means swamp. Alternatively, in the eastern parts of Germany, the surname Broek originated as a nickname type of surname derived from the Wendish (Slavic) word bruk, which means beetle or bug.

Early Origins of the Broek family

The surname Broek was first found in Bavaria, where the name Bruck became noted for its many branches with the region where each house acquired a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region.

One of the first records of the family was Ocko I tom Brok (de Broke) (c. 1345-1389), Chieftain of the Brokmerland and the Auricherland in East Frisia, a former territory on Germany's North Sea coast (1376-1389.) His son, Ocko II tom Brok (1407-1435) was also Chieftain of the Brokmerland and the Auricherland in East Frisia.

Early History of the Broek family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broek research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1515 and 1554 are included under the topic Early Broek History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broek Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Broek include Bruch, Brucke, Brukke, Breuck, Breucke, Breuch, Breukk, Brueck, Bruech, Bruecke and many more.

Early Notables of the Broek family

More information is included under the topic Early Broek Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broek Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Broek is the 780^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,464 people with that name. 1

Broek migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many 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 to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Broek were

Broek Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barend Ten Broek, who arrived in America in 1846-1847 2

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)