Valk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany
Israel

The prestigious family surname Valk originated in the territory that eventually became the German state of Prussia. The name comes from the Middle High German word "valke," meaning "falcon," and as such, the surname was likely originally a nickname or an occupational name.

Early Origins of the Valk family

The surname Valk was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name emerged as a noble family with great influence, possessing extensive estates such as the castle Neuhaus and Thyrow in the region of Teltow as early as 1359, and became noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. They also held property in Saxony, near the city of Wittenburg, as well as the state Luemzow in the region of Neu-Stettin (Pomerania) in 1583.

Early History of the Valk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Valk research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1555, 1614, 1768, 1786, 1823, 1826, 1827, 1832, 1876 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Valk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Valk 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 Valk include Falk, Falcke, Valke, Falke, Falken and others.

Early Notables of the Valk family

Notable figures of the time with the name Valk were Joshua ben Alexander HaCohen Falk (1555-1614), a Polish Halakhist and Talmudist, author of the Beit Yisrael commentary on the Arba'ah Turim; Johann Daniel Falk (1768-1826), who was a Danzig-born...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Valk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Valk Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Valk is the 266^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,334 people with that name. 1

Valk migration to the United States +

Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Valk or a variant listed above:

Valk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Valk, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1835 2
Sheratina Valk, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 2
A S Valk, aged 48, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 2
Anna Valk, aged 1, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 2
Antje Valk, aged 19, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Valk (post 1700) +

William Weightman Valk (1806-1879), American politician, Representative from New York 1st District, 1855-57 3
Reiky de Valk (2000-2023), Dutch actor

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html