Show ContentsBucholz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bucholz comes from the German region of Westphalia. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to Germany after the 12th century, and the names of places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," which was originally an indicator of land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Bucholz family originally lived near a beech grove which is derived from the Old German word buchholz, which means beech grove, and is popular throughout Germany. The name Bucholz is the name of numerous villages in the German states.

Early Origins of the Bucholz family

The surname Bucholz was first found in Westphalia, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times.

Early History of the Bucholz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bucholz research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1803 is included under the topic Early Bucholz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bucholz 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 Bucholz include Bocholtz, Bockoltz, Bokoltz, Bokkoltz, Bocholtz, Bocholts, Bockolts, Bokkolts, Burkholtz, Burkoltz, Burckholtz, Burkoltz, Burgholtz, Burgholtz, Bocoltz, Burkolt, Burkoltz, Burkolts, Bocholz, Buchholtz, Bochholtz, Buchholtz, Bucholz, Bockholt, Bockhold, Bockholdz, Bocholte, Bokholdz, Bochheldt and many more.

Early Notables of the Bucholz family

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

Bucholz Ranking

In the United States, the name Bucholz is the 16,234th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Bucholz migration to the United States +

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them:

Bucholz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louise Bucholz, Wilhelmina Bucholz, and Theodore Bucholz all of whom were recorded as having arrived in Galveston Texas in 1846
  • Louise Bucholz, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1846 [2]
  • Theodore Bucholz, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1846 [2]
  • Wilhelmina Bucholz, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1846 [2]
  • Andr Bucholz, aged 51, who arrived in New York, NY in 1889 [2]

New Zealand Bucholz migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bucholz Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Johann Bucholz, (b. 1841), aged 31, Polish farm labourer travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 [3]
  • Mrs. Anna Bucholz, (b. 1844), aged 28, Polish settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 [3]
  • Mr. Józef Bucholz, (b. 1868), aged 4, Polish settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 [3]
  • Miss Amela Bucholz, (b. 1870), aged 2, Polish settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bucholz (post 1700) +

  • W. D. Bucholz, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 50th District, 1915-18 [4]
  • Paul H. Bucholz, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 1916 [4]
  • Max Bucholz, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 30 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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