Show ContentsBechle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bechle

What does the name Bechle mean?

The Bechle surname is derived from the Middle High German words "bach," meaning a "stream," and the suffix "ler," indicating an inhabitant of. As such, it was a topographic name for someone who lived by a stream.

Early Origins of the Bechle family

The surname Bechle was first found in southern Germany, where the family was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society of early Europe. The earliest individual to be mentioned in chronicles is one Cunrat Baecheler of Konstanz in the year 1259.

Early History of the Bechle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bechle research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1589 is included under the topic Early Bechle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bechle Spelling Variations

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 Bechle include Bechler, Bechlere, Bechlen, Bechel, Bechller, Bechllere, Bechllen, Becler, Beclere, Beckl, Becklere, Beckler, Becklen, Beckle, Beckller, Bechl, Bechle, Becheler, Bechel, Baechler, Baechl, Baecheler, Bechlel and many more.

Early Notables of the Bechle family

More information is included under the topic Early Bechle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Bechle migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Bechle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G. T. Bechle who was recorded as having arrived in Arkansas in 1885
  • G T Y Bechle, who landed in Arkansas in 1885 1


  1. 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)


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