Brunke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished German surname Brunke is a variant of the surname Brüning, which indicates "son of Brüning," a variant of Bruno. The personal name Bruno is a pet form of names such as Brunolf, Brunwardt and Brunheri, all derived from the Old High German word "brunja," meaning "brown." The name may also have been derived from the Middle High German "brunne," meaning "breastplate." In Low German the surname often adopted a k-suffix, creating Bruneke which led to Bruhnke and Brünicke. Around 1600, the names Brunke and Brunken began to appear more often in Friesland.

Early Origins of the Brunke family

The surname Brunke was first found in East Friesland, where the Low German suffix -k was attached to the Westphalian surname Brüning. By about 1600, the name could be found with increasing frequency in the northern areas of Lower Saxony, Pomerania, and Schleswig-Holstein. The earliest known bearer of the surname was Cord Brunke, who was documented in 1594. The young Brunke family eventually branched into many houses, becoming one of the prominent families of the region.

Early History of the Brunke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brunke research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1594, 1730, 1803, 1811 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Brunke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brunke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brunke, Brunger, Bruhnke, Brunken, Brünicke, Brüntjen, Brünjes, Bruneke, Bruenicke and many more.

Early Notables of the Brunke family

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

Brunke migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brunke Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Pauline Brunke, aged 18, who landed in Quebec in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Brunke (post 1700) +

Hans Brunke (1904-1985), German international footballer
Michael A Brunke, American Senior Research Specialist at the University of Arizona's Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Dr. Kathleen Brunke, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Christopher Newport University