Debeer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Debeer surname comes from the Dutch word Dutch "beer," meaning "bear;" and as such was thought to have been a nickname which evolved into a surname. Nicknames were used to describe physical characteristics, behavior, mannerisms, and even favored styles of clothing. In this case, Debeer would have been originally used for someone with "bear-like" qualities, perhaps for someone who was big, or strong, like a bear.
Early Origins of the Debeer family
The surname Debeer was first found in Utrecht in the Netherlands, thought to be the ancestral homeland of the bearers of the prestigious surname.
Early History of the Debeer family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Debeer research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1475, 1504, 1528, 1591, 1605, 1666, 1708, 1709, 1871 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Debeer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Debeer Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Beer, De Beer, de Bere, DeBeere, deBeere and many more.
Early Notables of the Debeer family
From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included Jan de Beer (c.1475-1528), known as the Master of the Milan Adoration, a Flemish painter and draughtsman, who became a master in 1504. Active in Antwerp...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Debeer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Debeer Ranking
In Netherlands, the name Debeer is the 314th most popular surname with an estimated 4,820 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Debeer is ranked the 148th most popular surname with an estimated 40,218 people with that name. 2
Debeer migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Debeer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Joseph Debeer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 3
Debeer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Liendert DeBeer, who settled in Detroit in 1866
Contemporary Notables of the name Debeer (post 1700) +
- Sue de Beer (b. 1973), American contemporary artist
- Leopold Michiel "Pol" de Beer (1934-2024), Dutch engineer and politician, Member of the Senate of the Netherlands (1995-2003)
- Zacharias Johannes "Zach" de Beer (1928-1999), liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman, Co-leader of the Democratic Party (1989-1994), South African Ambassador to The Netherlands
- Willem Frederik Andries de Beer (b. 1988), South African two-time silver and bronze medalist sprinter
- Lonell de Beer (b. 1980), South African international cricketer who made 11 One Day International appearances for South Africa national women's cricket team from 2005 to 2007
- Esmond Samuel de Beer (1895-1990), New Zealand scholar, editor, collector, bibliophile and philanthropist
- Wolfgang "Teddy" de Beer (b. 1964), German footballer who played as a goalkeeper from 1981 to 2001, member of the West Germany U-21 National Team in 1984
- Jan Hendrik "Jannie" de Beer (b. 1971), South African, rugby union player
- Gavin Rylands de Beer (1899-1972), British evolutionary embryologist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1958
- Ragel "Rageltjie" de Beer (1831-1843), South African, Afrikaner heroine, who, as a girl of 12 years old, gave her life, to save her brother
Citations +
- "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
- "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
- 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)