Show ContentsBruech History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Bruech. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname created in the Rhineland was the local name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of the village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, was used with local names. The surname Bruech was given to someone who lived beside a dyke. Bruech is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Bruech family

The surname Bruech was first found in the Rhineland, where the name Bruch contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and played a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, where family members continued to play a significant role in the local social and political affairs.

Early History of the Bruech family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bruech research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bruech History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bruech 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 Bruech include Bruch, Bruche, Bruck, Brucke, Bruk, Brukke, Brouch, Brouche, Brouck, Brouke, Bruech, Brueck, Bruek, Brok, Brokke, Broech, Broeck, Broech, Broeche, Broek and many more.

Early Notables of the Bruech family

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

Migration of the Bruech family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Bruech, or one of its variants above: John Bruch who was recorded as having arrived in Virginia in 1663; Hans Henrig Bruch who, accompanied by his wife and four children, arrived in New York state in 1709.



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