Blecker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Blecker is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a fabric bleacher having derived from the Old English word blaecan which literally means to bleach. The first record of the name was with the spelling Blakere in Norfolk in 1047-64, 1 pre-Domesday Book which is quite rare.

Early Origins of the Blecker family

The surname Blecker was first found in Somerset. The name was also a baptismal name as in 'the son of Blacre' or as Blacar which were listed in the Domesday Book. 2 Notwithstanding the claim by the Irish branch of the family that they are descended from Blacar, a Norse chieftain who settled in Dublin, Ireland, sometime around the tenth century, there is no hard evidence of this relationship, and it is unlikely that such a family would have moved northward to Armagh. The Cartularium Abbathiae de Whiteby, Ordinis S. Benedicti has three listings of the name from the 12th century: Richard filius Blacker; Baldwin filius Blacker; and Walterus filius Godfridi filius Blacker. 3

Early History of the Blecker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blecker research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1312, 1630, 1657, 1659, 1660 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Blecker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blecker Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Blecker include Blacker, Blacre, Blackers, Blaker, Blackre, Blacar, Blaiker, Blackar, Blackire and many more.

Early Notables of the Blecker family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blecker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blecker family to Ireland

Some of the Blecker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blecker migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Blecker were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Blecker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Jacob Blecker, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
Johan Henrich Blecker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 4
Heinrich Blecker, who arrived in America in 1778 4

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)