Banker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Banker

What does the name Banker mean?

The origins of the Banker name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in Oxfordshire. The name is thought to be descriptive of someone who lived near a bank, or an area of raised ground, and is derived from the Old English word, benche, of the same meaning, although this derivation and meaning are by no means certain. Another source claims the "surname is derived from an official title. 'the bencher,' the banker.' Very early instances of some office in legal or exchequer matters." 1

Early Origins of the Banker family

The surname Banker was first found in Oxfordshire, where one of the first records of the family appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Roger de Bencher. The Writs of Parliament in 1298 list Robert le Banker and John le Bancker (London) in 1300. 1

Another source claims that Cheshire is the first place of origin as Albrice le Baunker was listed there in the Feet of Fines of 1245. Later, Thomas Bankar was listed in Northumberland in 1358. 2

Early History of the Banker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Banker research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1296, 1500, 1665, 1674, 1695, 1696, 1707, 1709 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Banker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Banker Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Banker were recorded, including Bencher, Banker, Benchere, Buncher, Benchaire and many more.

Early Notables of the Banker family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Banker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Banker Ranking

In the United States, the name Banker is the 7,499^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Banker migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Banker family emigrate to North America:

Banker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gerrit Banker, who landed in New York, NY in 1655 4
Laurens Mattyse Banker, who landed in New York, NY in 1673 4

Banker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Andrew Banker, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 4
William Banker who arrived in New York in 1822
John Banker, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1851 4

Banker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Banker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Banker U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Banker (post 1700) +

Willis "Blond Blizzard" Burton Banker (1907-1985), American football player, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977
Oscar H. Banker (1895-1979), born Asatour Sarafian, an Armenian-born, American inventor who patented the automatic transmission for automobiles
Theodore William Banker, American former NFL football player who played from 1983 to 1991
Mark Banker, American football defensive coordinator for the Oregon State Beavers, former defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers
Benjamin Arthur Banker, American real estate partner and co-founder of Coldwell Banker in 1914
Howard James Banker (1866-1940), American mycologist
Walter Joseph Patrick Curley Banker Jr., American investment banker, New York City, N.Y
Jean Ann Banker (b. 1932), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2004 6
Gershom Banker, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Schenectady County, 1870-71 6
George W. Banker, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County 2nd District, 1864 6
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html