Show ContentsGlueck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestral home of the Glueck family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Glueck is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a family who lived near the bell tower of a church. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the German word "glocke," which means "bell," and denotes that the family or original bearer of the name either worked in the bell tower or made bells.

Early Origins of the Glueck family

The surname Glueck was first found in Bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Glueck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glueck research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1705, 1714, 1732, 1736 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Glueck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glueck 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 Glueck include Gluck, Glueck, Gluckh, Glueckh, Gluk and others.

Early Notables of the Glueck family

Prominent among members of the name Glueck in this period include Johann Ernst Glück (1652-1705), a German translator and Lutheran theologian active in Livonia; and Christopher Willibald Gluck (1714-1787), a composer of operas who achieved fame in France. He was born July 2, 1714, baptised July 4, at Weidenwang, near Neumarkt, in the Upper Palatinate. His father, Alexander, and his mother, Walburga, belonged to the household of Prince Lobkowitz, and it was at his castle of Eisenberg that the future reformer of the lyric drama passed his early days. At 12 he was sent for six years to the Jesuit school...
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glueck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Glueck migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Gluecks to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Glueck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J F Glueck, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [1]
  • Franz Glueck came with his wife and five children to Texas in 1853
  • William Glueck, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1859 [1]
  • Jacob Glueck, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Glueck (post 1700) +

  • Grace Glueck (1926-2022), American arts journalist who worked for The New York Times from 1951 until the early 2010s
  • Killian Glueck, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Chaffee, Missouri, 1955 [2]
  • Louise Glueck (b. 1943), well-known poet, whose first work was published in 1968
  • Sheldon Glueck (b. 1896), criminologist concerned with juvenile delinquency


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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