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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
The ancient German region called the Rhineland is where Brobeck was first used as a hereditary surname. While Germans initially used single names, they eventually adopted surnames to alleviate confusion with others of the same name. As the population grew and people traveled more, the confusion rose - and so did surname use. Many German surnames come from the work done by the original bearer of the surname. Brobeck is an occupational name for a person who was a baker of bread. The surname Brobeck was originally derived from the Old German word brot which referred to bread. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries.
The surname Brobeck was first found in the Rhineland, where the name could be considered to have made a major contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of the early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever-changing territorial profile. The name derives from the profession of baker, whose main product was bread: "Brotbaecker" took on a variety of spellings, often dropping the "t." In the northeastern regions the name added a "-ke" and became Brobeke.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brobeck research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brobeck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Brobeck include Brobeck, Brobache, Brobacker, Brobakke, Borbeke, Brobecker, Brobeck, Brodbeck and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Brobeck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Brobeck, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early: