Show ContentsBernake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Bernake Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins of the Bernake family

The surname Bernake was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 14th century when Sir William Bernack, one of the original Kinghts of the Bath held estates in 1306 in that shire. There is a record of a Hugh de Bernack, a plaintiff in a Final Concord in 1263 for land in Wudethorp, Lincoln.

Early History of the Bernake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernake research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1097, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Bernake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernake 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 Bernake 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bernake include: Bernack, Bernacke, Barnacke, Barnecke, Bernake and others.

Early Notables of the Bernake family

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

Migration of the Bernake family

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 Bernake or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

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