Falk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The prestigious family surname Falk originated in the territory that eventually became the German state of Prussia. The name comes from the Middle High German word "valke," meaning "falcon," and as such, the surname was likely originally a nickname or an occupational name.
Early Origins of the Falk family
The surname Falk was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name emerged as a noble family with great influence, possessing extensive estates such as the castle Neuhaus and Thyrow in the region of Teltow as early as 1359, and became noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. They also held property in Saxony, near the city of Wittenburg, as well as the state Luemzow in the region of Neu-Stettin (Pomerania) in 1583.
Early History of the Falk family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Falk research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1555, 1614, 1768, 1786, 1823, 1826, 1827, 1832, 1876 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Falk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Falk 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 Falk include Falk, Falcke, Valke, Falke, Falken and others.
Early Notables of the Falk family
Notable figures of the time with the name Falk were
- Joshua ben Alexander HaCohen Falk (1555-1614), a Polish Halakhist and Talmudist, author of the Beit Yisrael commentary on the Arba'ah Turim
- Johann Daniel Falk (1768-1826), who was a Danzig-born author and philanthropist
- Adalbert Falk (1827-1900) was Minister of Education under Bismark who also played a role in political struggles against the power of the Church
Falk Ranking
In the United States, the name Falk is the 3,166th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1
Falk migration to the United States +
The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Falks to arrive in North America, and among them were:
Falk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Arholt Falk, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Falk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Jayme Falk, aged 23, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1840 2
- Wulf Falk, who settled in Philadelphia in 1847
- Joseph Falk, who arrived in New Castle County, Delaware, in 1853
- Jacob Falk, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 2
- Georg Falk, his wife Agnes, and their five children arrived in Texas in 1854
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Falk Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Charles John Wolfrid Falk, who arrived in Mississippi in 1900 2
- Anna Christina Falk, who landed in Colorado in 1907 2
- Matilda Sophia Falk, who landed in Colorado in 1907 2
Falk migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Falk Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Peter Falk, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
- Henry Falk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
- William Falk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
- Heinrich Falk, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
- David Falk, who landed in Manitoba in 1876
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Falk (post 1700) +
- Peter Falk (1927-2011), American two-time Academy Award nominated, five-time Emmy Award winning actor and comedian, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo
- Lee Falk (1911-1999), born Leon Harrison Gross, an American writer, theater director and producer, creator of the comic strips The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician
- Joe Falk (b. 1951), American auto dealer and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner
- Richard Anderson Falk (b. 1930), American professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University
- Franz Falk, German-born, American businessman who founded the Falk Corporation, which designs, manufactures, and markets power transmission products in 1892
- Conrad Robert Falk (b. 1935), birth name of Robert Conrad, American actor, best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West
- Patrick Falk (b. 1980), German footballer
- Johannes Daniel Falk (1768-1826), German writer
- Christian Falk (b. 1962), Swedish record producer and musician
- Robert Falk (1886-1958), Russian painter
- ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- "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)