Surname Buerck - Meaning and Origin

Buerck: What does the surname Buerck mean?

The last name Buerck is of German origin, with some variants being Bürk, Burger, and Bürger.

The name Buerck likely originated as a nickname for someone who was associated with a borough or a fortress. Those bearing the name would likely have been people who lived in such fortified places or were heavily associated with them, such as businesspeople connected to them, soldiers who defended them, or craftsmen living or working in such towns or cities.

The name is derived from the Old High German words "burc," meaning "fortified city," or "burg," meaning a fortified dwelling. These words in Old High German formed the basis of the modern German word for "town," "stadt."

The name Buerck can also be seen in various places across Germany. The town of Burg in Lower Saxony, Germany, dates back to the 1000s and may have been named for a Buerck resident or family. Other towns bearing variants of the name, such as Burgsteinfurt, Bürgermoor, Bürgerloh and Bürgermeisterhausen, can also be found across the country.

The name Buerck today is found both in Germany and elsewhere around the world. Those bearing the name can take pride in its associations with strength, fortification and defence, as well as a sense of connection to Germany's past.

Buerck: Where does the name Buerck come from?

The last name Buerck is believed to be of German origin, and most of those with that surname today are likely descendant from German immigrants of the 1800s. This surname is most common in Germany, but is also moderately found in the United States, especially in Wisconsin and Missouri.

In Germany, the Buerck surname is one of the 15,000 most-common last names, with about 7,619 people carrying the name as of a 2018 locations survey. Most people with the last name are scattered around the country, but concentrated in larger cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, and Dusseldorf.

In the United States, the Buerck surname is much less populous—the same survey lists only 170 people with that name. The majority 77 of those are located in Wisconsin, where the surname is most commonly found. The majority of the state’s Buerks are situated in Milwaukee and Fond du Lac counties.

In the US, smaller clusters are found in the town of Pleasant Hope, Missouri and in the greater Los Angeles area. As of 2018, New York has the largest number of Buerks outside of Wisconsin, with 15 people listed with the name. The States of Indiana, Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota each have 2-4 individuals with the name as well.

Overall, the name Buerck is uncommon in most countries, but still retains a noticeable presence in both the United States and Germany.

Variations of the surname Buerck

Buerck is a surname of German origin that has many spelling variants, including Burck, Burger, Berg, Bergen, Birk and Buerk. The variants depend on region and language evolution, particularly how certain sounds within the surname changed over time. Due to the predominance of Germanic languages in parts of Central and Northern Europe, Buerck is primarily found in countries such as Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.

The name can be traced to Middle High German origins, with early spellings of the name being Bürg, Bürcke and Bürgel, and variations likely slowly evolving towards their modern spelling, Buerck. In some areas such as the Netherlands, the name Berg is derived from Buerck, which is also found as a variant spelling in Germany.

The surname Buerck is also sometimes found as an alternative spelling for the surname Burger, which is derived from the original spelling Bürg. The root Bürg means “to fortify or defend a fortress or castle”, which could suggest that it was likely to have been used as a nickname for someone who was strong, sturdy or brave in battle.

There is also an Austrian surname, Birk, derived from Buerck, which originated from the Bavarian word for beech tree. This variant of the name became popular due to the high concentration of beech trees in the 1990s.

These variants of the surname Buerck are just a few of the versions that have evolved over time as the name spread across Central and Northern Europe, and all ultimately derive from the Middle High German root Bürg.

Famous people with the name Buerck

• Kristin Buerck: Kristin Buerck is a former American soccer player who represented the US women's national soccer team at the World Cup. She was part of the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer League and the German professional women’s league, as well as playing for the US women's national team from 1993-98.
• Abraham Buerck: Abraham Buerck was a German-American scholar, painter, and author. He was one of the first German-American scholars to specialize in American history during the 19th century, and was the first President of the German Historical Society in New York City.
• Albert Buerck: Albert Buerck was a German cartographer at the turn of the century. He was known for his meticulous sketches of Bavarian towns and cities, and his maps were used to plan military movements during the First and Second World Wars.
• August Buerck: August Buerck was a sculptor from Prussia who is known for his work on memorial statues for fallen soldiers and memorial monuments. He was also an instructor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin.
• Mike Buerck: Mike Buerck was a professional Australian basketball player who represented Australia in the 2015 Olympic Games before turning his attention to coaching. He is now the head coach of the Sydney Kings in the Australian National Basketball League.

Other surnames

Buerckel