Kirch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland
England

The surname Kirch 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. The name Kirch is a "northern pronunciation of Church. Many parishes in the northern counties have this prefix, as Kirk-Heaton, Kirk-Newton, Kirk-Malew, Kirk-Linton, Kirk-Oswald, Kirk-Sandal." 1

Early Origins of the Kirch family

The surname Kirch was first found in Yorkshire, England where Robertus del Kirke and Johannes de Kirke were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

As a name found on the border with Scotland, we must look to the 15th century to find the first occurrences there. "Sir Patrick Kyrk, chaplain of the altar of S. Mary, Perth, 1456, Andrew Kyrk, witness at Arnbroath, 1459." 3 Later we found Alexander Kirk, bailie of St. Andrews, 1520. James Kirk, charter witness at Inveraray, 1608. The old Dumfriesshire surname of Kihkhok is now merged in this name. 3

Early History of the Kirch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirch research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1258, 1547, 1553, 1590, 1597, 1600, 1613, 1629, 1638, 1641, 1644, 1646, 1650, 1654, 1675, 1681, 1683, 1691, 1692, 1706, 1742 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kirch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kirk, Kirkhoe, Kirkaugh, Kirko, Kirkoe and others.

Early Notables of the Kirch family

Notable among the family at this time was Edward Kirke (1553-1613), English poet and scholar, a close friend of the poet Spenser; Robert Kirk (1644-1692), a Scottish minister, Gaelic scholar and folklorist from Aberfoyle, Stirling, best known for his "The Secret Commonwealth," a treatise on fairy folklore, witchcraft and ghosts; John Kirke (fl. 1638), English dramatist, author of a popular tragic comedy "The Seven Champions of Christendome" in 1638; and Lieutenant General Percy Kirke (c. 1646-1691), an English soldier and diplomat, Governor of Tangier (1681-1683.)Robert Kirk (c. 1641-1692) was a Gaelic scholar, the youngest son of James Kirk, minister at Aberfoyle...
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kirch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirch Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirch is the 17,285^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Kirch family to Ireland

Some of the Kirch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirch migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kirch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Deisch Kirch, who arrived in New York in 1709 5
Georg Kirch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1747 5
Henrich Kirch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1747 5
Thomas Kirch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 5
Andreas Kirch, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 5

Kirch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elise Kirch, aged 17, who arrived in New York in 1854 5
Peter Kirch, aged 31, who landed in New York in 1854 5
John Kirch, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1857 5
Jacob Kirch, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 5
Jiost Kirch, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1874 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirch (post 1700) +

Patrick Vinton Kirch, American archaeologist and Professor Emeritus of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley
Darrell G. Kirch, American physician, President and CEO emeritus of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Oliver Kirch (b. 1982), retired German footballer who played from 1992 to 2000
Leo Kirch (1926-2011), German media entrepreneur who founded the Kirch Group

The Kirch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Optimum quod primum
Motto Translation: That is best that is first.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)