Beller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The Beller name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Beller was originally a name given to someone who worked as a bell-founder or a bellringer. The surname Beller is derived from the Old English word belle, which means bell.

Early Origins of the Beller family

The surname Beller was first found in Cambridgeshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. The parish of Kirby Bellars in Leicestershire takes its name from the foundation of a college there in 1359 during the reign of Edward II. ^[1]

One of the first records of the family was Roger de Beler (d. 1326), an English judge, who was son of William Beler, and grandson of Roger Beler, Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1256. "That the family was settled in Leicestershire we know from a license obtained by the judge in 1316 to grant a lay fee in Kirkby-by-Melton, on the Wrethek in that county, to the warden and chaplains of St. Peter, on condition of their performing religious services for the benefit of the souls of himself and his wife Alicia, his father and mother, and ancestry generally." ^[2]

Early History of the Beller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beller research. Another 228 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1275, 1500, 1666, 1726, 1687, 1750, 1654, 1725, 1687, 1654 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Beller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beller Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Beller are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Beller include: Beller, Bellere, Bellier, Biller, Billere, Billier, Billers and many more.

Early Notables of the Beller family (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: Fettiplace Bellers (1687-1750?), English dramatist and philosophical writer, son of John Bellers (1654-1725) and Frances Bellers, was born in the parish of St. Andrew's, Holborn, London, 23 Sept. 1687. His father was a philanthropist, born about 1654 and was a member of the Society of Friends. "When about thirty years old he married Frances...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beller migration to the United States

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Beller or a variant listed above:

Beller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Hans Jacob Beller, who arrived in New York in 1709 ^[3]
• Jacob Beller, who arrived in America in 1709 ^[3]
• Louis Beller, aged 22, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 ^[3]
• Christian Beller, aged 8, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 ^[3]
• Friedrich Beller, who arrived in America in 1780 ^[3]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• John Beller, who landed in New York in 1846 ^[3]
• Frederick Beller, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 ^[3]
• Mrs. Joh Beller, who landed in America in 1853 ^[3]
• Mrs. Anton Beller, who landed in America in 1855 ^[3]
• Karoline Beller, who arrived in America in 1857 ^[3]

Beller Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• Henry Friedrick Beller, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1920 ^[3]

Beller migration to Canada

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beller Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Johannes Beller, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Contemporary Notables of the name Beller (post 1700)

• William Albert Beller (1900-1986), American concert pianist, Professor of Music at Marquette University and Columbia University
• Thomas Beller (b. 1965), American author and editor
• Bryan Beller, American rock bassist
• Kathleen Beller (b. 1955), American Golden Globe nominated film and television actor

Citations

1. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
2. ^ Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
3. ^ 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)