Surname Buhrs - Meaning and Origin
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Buhrs: What does the surname Buhrs mean?
The last name Buhrs is a German surname, and has its roots in primarily German-speaking regions, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is believed to be a variant of the surname "Buhr," which is an occupational surname. The root word is believed to be the Middle High German word “Bure”, which means “village elder”, implying that this name was used to denote a person who held an important position in their village or town. It is also possible that the name originated as a nickname from the Middle High German word “Buhrer”, meaning “soldier”, indicating someone who was once a soldier.
The surname Buhrs was likely most prevalent in the Middle Ages, when village elders and soldiers were of immense importance. It is unknown if this surname has any connection to heraldic coats of arms or other symbols of family unity.
Today, the Buhrs family name is still found in German-speaking regions. It is still a very common surname and is likely to remain a staple of the German culture for generations to come.
Order DNA origin analysisBuhrs: Where does the name Buhrs come from?
The last name Buhrs is primarily found in the Netherlands, where it is believed to date back to at least 1600 AD. It was most likely derived from the German surname Bühr, meaning oaken. The family was then likely Germanized as the Dutch language became more prevalent.
Today, the last name Buhrs and Bühr is still common in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. However, due to immigration and migrations, it is now spread throughout Europe and the world. In Germany, it is most common in the northern part, in and around the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, Bielefeld, and Ludwigshafen. It is also common in southern Netherlands, especially in Limburg and North Brabant where it is particularly concentrated.
In the United States, Buhrs and Bühr are more commonly found in states with large German populations such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. As well, some Canadian provinces have significant numbers of Buhrs/Bührs. These include Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario where it is the 24th, 35th, and 44th most common last name respectively.
In conclusion, the last name Buhrs/Bühr is still common in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, but is also found throughout other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Buhrs
The surname Buhrs can also be spelled as Buhr or Buer. This surname originates from an old Germanic word that denotes someone who lived near a river or stream. In many cases, Buhrs was the name of the person who took care of the waterworks in a certain area.
Variations of the name include Buehr, Bueritz, Buerke, Buhren, Buret, Beurs, Beer, Biears, and Biers. This could be a result of the way the name has shifted over time as German dialects and languages changed in certain areas.
In some cases, Buhrs was a patronymic surname, derived from the first name of a male ancestor. Typically, if the first name was spelled differently, as it often happened, the surname could also change. This is why Buhrs could also appear as Buer, Bure, Bürge, Bürklin, Birkmann, etc.
In Germany, Holland, and other European countries, the name Buhrs also became shortened to Buers or Busch (field). At the same time, this surname was Anglicized to Bair, Beers, Burrs, and Burns.
In some homes in Eastern Europe, the name Buhrs was also warped into the Jewish-sounding name Bures. This is because Jewish immigrants often adopted surnames with similar-sounding German names as part of their assimilation process.
Buhrs is a relatively common surname among individuals of German descent. However, its variants and spellings can be found all over the world, even in the United States.
Famous people with the name Buhrs
- Jean-Pierre Buhrs: a Belgian basketball coach who has worked with teams such as the United Arab Emirates national basketball team.
- Sebastien Buhrs: a French football player who has played for teams such as Nîmes Olympique and Angers SCO.
- Laurence Buhrs: a Dutch actress known for her roles in various films and TV shows.
- Henk Buhrs: a Dutch former Olympic fencer who competed in the 1968 and 1972 games.
- Paul de Buhrs: a Belgian former professional cyclist who won multiple stages in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
- Suzanne Buhrs: a Dutch former alpine skier who competed in two Winter Olympics (1972 and 1976).
- Christian Buhrs: a German professional footballer who currently plays for the club VfL Bochum.
- Marcus Buhrs: a Swedish athlete who has competed in several international competitions in the javelin throw.
- Phillip Buhrs: a Brazilian-American architect who is the principal of his own architecture firm, Phillip Buhrs Architects.
- Jürgen Buhrs: a German entrepreneur and former CEO of the International Air Transport Association.