Show ContentsBurcher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished family surname Burcher originated in the lands which eventually became the German state of Prussia. This state was known for its majestic landscape, its rapid industrial growth, its military power, and for its contributions to European culture. However, in the medieval era, Prussia was fragmented and inhabited by numerous barbarian tribes, who fought amongst themselves for control of the land. The borders of the barbarian kingdoms, which were established after the fall of the Roman Empire, changed repeatedly. The region that came to be known as Prussia was roughly divided between the territories of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia and East Prussia. The Burcher family emerged in Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany. By the 19th century, Brandenburg-Prussia had incorporated East Prussia, West Prussia and many other German territories. Moreover, in the late 19th century, it led the German states in the unification of Germany.

Early Origins of the Burcher family

The surname Burcher was first found in Prussia, where the Borcker name made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early Europe. The name Borcker became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses where family members continued to play important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts which resulted as each group sought to maximize its power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Burcher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burcher research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1773 is included under the topic Early Burcher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burcher 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 Burcher include Borcker, Borkker, Borcher, Borchers, Borker, Borchar, Borckar, Borkkar, Boercker, Buercker, Burcker, Boerkker, Buerkker, Burkker, Boercher, Buercher, Burcher, Boerchers, Buerchers, Burchers, Boerker, Buerker, Burker, Boerchar, Buerchar, Burchar, Boerkkar, Buerkkar, Burkkar, Borckel, Borckele and many more.

Early Notables of the Burcher family

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


Burcher migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Burcher were

Burcher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Edward Burcher, who arrived in Plymouth, Mass in 1623 aboard the ship "Little James" 1
  • Mrs. Burcher, who arrived in Plymouth, Mass in 1623 aboard the ship "Little James" with husband Edward 1
  • John Burcher, who landed in Virginia in 1623 1
  • William Burcher, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 1
  • Humphrey Burcher, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 1
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burcher migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Burcher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Emma Burcher who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 31st December 1831, arriving in New South Wales 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Burcher (post 1700) +

  • Pierre Bürcher (b. 1945), Swiss prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Diocese of Reykjavík, Iceland (2007-2015)
  • Ian Burcher, Australian contemporary field hockey player at the 2012 Summer Olympics
  • David Howard Burcher (b. 1950), former Wales international rugby union player


  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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell


Houseofnames.com on Facebook