Surname Bierschenck - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'B'
Bierschenck: What does the surname Bierschenck mean?
The last name Bierschenck originates from Germany and is a habitational surname derived from Bierschenk, a hamlet located in the Hesse state. It is believed that individuals from this small area had this last name and it was passed down through the generations.
The history of this last name can be found in church books from the early 1800s when the area was part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. At that time, this area had not been part of the German Empire and belonged to the Electorate of Hesse. It was during this period that the name first gained popularity.
The current spelling of Bierschenck is believed to have been derived from a dialect which was spoken in the area. The literal translation of the last name is "Beer House" which is derived from the German words keller (cellar) and schank (serving beer). The suffix "-ck" means that it was a cellar or room for keeping beer.
This name is now found throughout Germany, Europe, and the United States. Those who carry this last name can be traced back to the hamlet of Bierschenk and can be proud of their German heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisBierschenck: Where does the name Bierschenck come from?
The last name Bierschenck is most commonly seen today in Germany, particularly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Records indicate that the surname was first recorded in the thirteenth century and has since spread throughout the region.
The first documented appearance of the last name was in 1220, in a document known as the Sachsenspiegel, a German legal code which still provides a valuable insight into law, family, and culture of that time. According to this record, the Bierschenck family were of the peasant class and were farmers, coming from the region between the rivers Moldau and Elbe.
Many of the Bierschenck family spread out to the surrounding regions with some travelling to other parts of what was then known as Prussia. With the onset of the industrial revolution, some of the family travelled to industrial areas, such as the Rhine-Ruhr region, seeking work and a better life.
Today, Bierschenck is a fairly common surname. Census records from 2014 show that the name is particularly prevalent in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, with more than 30,000 recorded entries. It has also been recorded in the United States, particularly in Pennsylvania and California.
The name Bierschenck is derived from the old-high German word 'birschenc', meaning 'wild boar'. This is likely indicative of the lifestyle of the peasant class at that time, with wild boar being a staple part of the hunting and subsistence lifestyle of this group of people.
Overall, the last name Bierschenck still persists today primarily in German-speaking areas of Europe, and to a lesser extent in the USA. Family records suggest that the surname dates back to the thirteenth century, with most members of the family hailing from North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. The origin of the name likely comes from 'birschenc', meaning 'wild boar'.
Variations of the surname Bierschenck
The Bierschenck surname can appear in many variants, spellings, and surnames due to the effects of geographical and linguistic patterns throughout Europe. Possible variants of the surname include Beerschank, Bierschank, Bierschenk, Biërschank, Biërschanken, Byrschonk, Bierschang, and Byrschang.
The Bierschenck surname originates from the Germanic region more than 1000 years ago. Its spelling developed over time and its variants were spread across Europe due to the vast migration of people during World War II. The 'Biersch' part of the name is derived from the German word 'bier', meaning beer which indicated that an ancestor may have been involved in the production or distribution of beer. The 'enck' or 'ank' suffix is indicative of being from the same family as a parent or ancestor, as is the case in many Germanic surnames.
In the United States, the surname Bierschenck is associated with either German or Ashkenazic Jewish descent. In the 19th century, Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants adopted the surname Bierschenck as an anglicized version of their original Hebrew surname. In the Netherlands, the spelling Byrschonk is most common, while in Germany, Bierschank is the most popular spelling.
The variants of this surname often occur together with other surnames of similar origins. These include Beersman, Bersch, Berschman, Bershman, and Birschman. In some cases, the variants of this surname have been used interchangeably with other Germanic surnames, with Byrschang sometimes written as Biarschang or Biershang.
Variants, spellings, and surnames of the Bierschenck surname are evidence of both its Germanic and Jewish heritage, reflecting the great diversity of cultures that spread across Europe during the mid-to-late 19th century.
Famous people with the name Bierschenck
- Kevin Bierschenck — German singer and television presenter
- Steven Bierschenck — Former Major League Baseball catcher
- Suzann Bierschenck — actress and faculty member at the University of Louisiana
- Eloy Bierschenck — German footballer
- Laura Bierschenck — German television presenter
- Alexander Bierschenck — US psychologist and professor at the University of Georgia
- Carsten Bierschenck — German footballer
- Ursula Bierschenck — German ceramist and design professor
- Glen Bierschenck — US sculptor, photographer, and digital artist
- Mark Bierschenck — US politician and pastor