Burg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
France
Germany

The ancient German region of the Rhineland, gave birth to the family name of Burg. At first, people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in the Rhineland. Among the most common forms of surname found in the Rhineland are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an "eke-name" or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name was derived from the German word "burc," which means a "fortified town." The surname Burg was a name for a person who lived in a town.

Early Origins of the Burg family

The surname Burg was first found in the Rhineland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Burg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burg research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1540, 1550, 1556, 1573, 1579, 1589, 1599, 1716, 1763, 1765, 1834 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Burg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burg Spelling Variations

One 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 Burg include Berg, Bergh, Berghe, Bergg, Berge, Bergge, Burg, Burgh and many more.

Early Notables of the Burg family

Notables with the name Burg during this period were Adam Berg, a renowned music printer of Munich, whose publications extend from 1540 to about 1599. His great work was the 'Patrocinium musices,' published under the patronage of the Dukes of Bavaria, the first volume of which appeared in 1573. After the death of Duke Albrecht V, in 1579, the publication was interrupted, and not resumed till 1589, when the second series appeared, also containing five volumes. 1 George Berg, a German by birth, was a pupil of Dr. Pepusch. In 1763 he gained the first prize medal awarded by...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burg Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burg Ranking

In the United States, the name Burg is the 6,930^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Burg is ranked the 7,205^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3

Burg migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Burg, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Burg Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joh Heinrich Burg, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 4
Johan Christian Burg, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 4
Christian Burg, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1752 4
Jacob Burg, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1771 4
Elisabetha Margaretha Burg, who arrived in America in 1792 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Henry Burg, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1819 4
Lewis Burg, aged 28, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 4
John Burg, aged 1, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 4
Elizabeth Burg, aged 3, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 4
Susan Burg, aged 27, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Burg (post 1700) +

William Ecclesin Burg, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 10th District, 1921 5
Quinten L. Burg, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for South Dakota State House of Representatives 22nd District, 2010 5
James Burg, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of South Dakota, 1994; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Dakota, 1996, 2004, 2008 5
George O. Burg, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives, 1943-54, 1957-58 5
Ieke van den Burg (b. 1952), Dutch politician, member of the European Parliament
W. Burg Anstine, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960 (alternate), 1972 6

Citations +

Grove, Sir George, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (AD. 1450-1889) London: Macmillan1902, Print, 2 Vols
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html