Surname Buerkholtz - Meaning and Origin
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Buerkholtz: What does the surname Buerkholtz mean?
The last name Buerkholtz is a German locational surname, derived from the city of Burkel, in the Gelnhausen district of Hesse. The name is derived from the German words “Bürk”, meaning “birch” and “holz”, meaning “wood”. Thus, Buerkholtz literally means persons belonging to, or from, the location of Birchwood.
It is likely that the Buerkholtz family originated in the region near Burkel in Hesse, and that the name was adopted by several generations of the same family who eventually spread throughout parts of Germany, and much of Europe. For example, during the 19th century, as members of the family moved to other countries to seek better opportunities, some of their descendants eventually settled in North America. As such, the name Buerkholtz is now found in several countries including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
As with many other German family names, the Buerkholtz name is thought to be derived from places, occupations, or personal characteristics of its original family bearers. This is not unusual, as many German family names are descriptive in nature and often reflect the profession, location, or other characteristic of the original family from which they are derived. As such, the Buerkholtz last name likely has its origins in the region of Burkel, where individuals with the family lineage were known to be from the area of the Birchwood.
Order DNA origin analysisBuerkholtz: Where does the name Buerkholtz come from?
The last name Buerkholtz is most commonly found around the city of Münster in Germany. It is made up of two elements: bürg, which means “burgh” or “town”, and holz, which means “wood” or “forest”. In other words, Buerkholtz likely originated as “of the town in the wood” or “of the forest near the town”.
The surname is a historic one, though it still can be found in the Münster region today. It’s most likely to be encountered in small rural hamlets, such as Rettert, in the Kollmann-Osterwaldeburg area. The name is especially common in the Seeve valley, where many bearers of the name live near the Emssee lake in the Tecklenburg and Steinfeld districts.
The area of Halle an der Saale is also a significant center for the name. Research indicates that there were several families with the name in the area already by the 17th century. According to records, Buerkholtzs living here then had already been living in the city for many generations.
The spread of the name has also gone northward from here. Buerkholtz is now also found frequently in Emsland, and across the border into the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.
At the same time, there are many modern-day Buerkholtzs who are in fact descendants of immigrants who left Germany in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. For example, Buerkholtzs from North America, South America, and Australia have traced their family history back to Germany.
Variations of the surname Buerkholtz
The surname Buerkholtz is derived from Northern German and Dutch origins and has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
The primary spelling of the surname is Buerkholtz, however, it is also found around the world in forms such as Boeckholt, Burkhaltz, Bürkholz, Bürgholz, Burgolt, Bükholz, Boukholtz, Bürkholtz, Bürkhauz, and Bücholtz. In some cases, the spelling has been further shortened to the likes of Bürk and Bürkhol. Additional alternate spellings include Buerckholz, Buerkhols, Burckholtz, Burkhalt, Burkolt, Burkholtz, Burcholtz, and Bürkholtombe.
The Dutch spelling of the surname is Bockholt, and a shortened version has also been found spelled as Bokholt. Should the name have been transliterated when entering the United States prior to the standardization of spellings, it may also be found spelled as Burgkholtz or Burkholdt.
Immigrants to the United States from Prussia, Bavaria, Russia and other areas of Germany who may have taken the name often anglicized it to Burke, Burkett, and Burket. In Scotland, the surname has been found anglicized as Burghalt and Burgholz. In England, families of the name are often seen spelled as Burkalt and Burkholz. In France, the family is sometimes found spelled as Burcault.
An alternate form of the surname Buerkholtz that is sometimes found is Bock, which is not to be confused with the German and Dutch surname Böck. However, in some cases, it is possible that Bock is a variant of Böck as well as Buerkholtz.
Overall, Buerkholtz is a surname of Germanic and Dutch origin, and the various spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin stem from its status as one of the most widespread surnames in the world.
Famous people with the name Buerkholtz
- Kayla Buerkholtz: American swimmer.
- Oliver Buerkholtz: German jazz musician.
- Steve Buerkholtz: American politician from Wisconsin.
- Richard Buerkholtz: German football player.
- Fritz Buerkholtz: German architect.
- Carl Buerkholtz: German Supreme Court Justice.
- Bernhard Buerkholtz: German theatre director.
- Anke Buerkholtz: German athlete.
- Evelyn Buerkholtz: German television and film director.
- Marie Buerkholtz: German actresses.
- David Buerkholtz: American baseball player.
- Paul Buerkholtz: German film and television actor.
- Paul Buerkholtz: German lawyer.
- Hans Peter Buerkholtz: German journalist.
- Christian Buerkholtz: German photographer.
- Margrit Merkle-Buerkholtz: German politician.
- Laura Buerkholtz: German teen actress.
- Wilhelm Buerkholtz: German theologian.
- Marianne Buerkholtz: German poet and composer.
- Rudolf Buerkholtz: German politician.