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Bavaria, one of the oldest and largest of the German states, is the birthplace of the Brach family. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules. Names derived from occupations were particularly common in this region. Brach is an occupational surname for master of hunting dogs. Further research showed the name was derived from the German word bracke. The surname Brach was also a nickname for a person that resembled a hunting dog. Moreover, the surname Brach is a nickname for a boisterous person, which is derived from the German word braht, which means loud or noise.
The surname Brach was first found in Bavaria, where this distinguished family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brach research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1637 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Brach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Brach include Brack, Bracke, Brach, Brache, Brak, Brakk, Brakke, Bracken, Brakken, Brachen, Bracker, Brakker, Bracher, Brackner, Brakkner, Brachner, Brackel, Brackell, Brachel, Brachell, Brakkel and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Brach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Brach or a variant listed above: