Melcher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Early Origins of the Melcher family

The surname Melcher was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. Melchior was the name of one of the biblical three Wise Men or Kings (Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar,) and means literally in Hebrew "King of Light." In the 15th century it became very popular as a first name. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made the territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Melcher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Melcher research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1719, 1738 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Melcher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melcher Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Melchior, Melcher, Melchers, Melchert, Melckor, Melchor, Melkior, Melckior, Melcore, Melcior, Malcher (Silesia), Melchart, Melchior and many more.

Early Notables of the Melcher family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Melcher were

Romuald Melcher of Krain, who was ennobled for his widely respected expertise in horse breeding in 1794

Melcher Ranking

In the United States, the name Melcher is the 7,953^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Melcher migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Melcher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Melcher, who arrived in Portsmouth, NH in 1684 2

Melcher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Melcher, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 2
Nicolaus Melcher, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 2
Nichlaus Melcher, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1736
Georg Melcher, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
Hans Melcher went to Philadelphia in 1751
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Melcher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Melcher, aged 20, who landed in Maryland in 1812 2
Charles Melcher, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 2
Miss Catharine Melcher, aged 16, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Chas. N. Cooper"
R D Melcher, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Christian Melcher, who arrived in Texas with his family in 1852
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Melcher (post 1700) +

James Laurence Melcher (1939-2023), American hedge fund manager and Olympic fencer who competed in the individual and team épée events at the 1972 Summer Olympics
John Melcher (1924-2018), American Senator from Montana (1977-1989), honored with the Purple Heart Combat Infantry Badge
Al Melcher (1884-1944), American racecar driver
Frederic G. Melcher (1879-1963), American publisher, bookseller, editor, best known as the creator of the Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal
Joseph Melcher (1806-1873), Austrian-born, American clergyman, the first Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay
Holman Staples Melcher (1841-1905), American Civil War officer, mayor of Portland, Maine
Charles Melcher (b. 1965), American founder and president of Melcher Media, a book packager and publisher
Martin Melcher (1915-1968), American film producer, husband of the actress Doris Day
Terrence P. Melcher (1942-2004), American musician and record producer
Philip Melcher, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1920 3
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html