Berchem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany

Etymology of Berchem

The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the ancestors of the Berchem surname. Berchem was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, and they often attached the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," to the surname. Often, the use of "von" was a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Berchem was a name for someone who lived in the Rhine valley.

Early Origins of the Berchem family

Early History of the Berchem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berchem research. Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1244, 1491, 1505, 1512, 1535, 1565, 1572, 1683, 1698 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Berchem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berchem 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 Berchem include Berchem, Bercheim, Berchheim, Bergheim, Bergheimer, Berghem, Burgheim, Burghem, Bergem, Bercheme, Berchems, Bercham, Berkem and many more.

Early Notables of the Berchem family

• Georg von Berchem, Privy Councellor at the court of Brandenburg, who was ennobled in 1698 in reward for his outstanding service
• Jacquet de Berchem (1505-1565), a prominent Flemish composer, was primarily known for his madrigals. He was born in Flanders at the commencement of the 16th century, and flourished in the epoch immedi...

Migration of the Berchem family

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Berchem, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early: Wilhelm Bergheimer, who came to Philadelphia in 1732.