Surname Burkmüller - Meaning and Origin
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Burkmüller: What does the surname Burkmüller mean?
The surname Burkmüller is a German name. It is derived from the Middle High German word 'Burc' which means strong fortress. The surname likely originated from a place, such as a town or village surrounded by a fortress wall. The suffix of '-müller' can refer either to a person or a profession. 'Müller' is thought to have originally referred to a person who operated a mill, although it was also used to describe someone who lived near a mill. Given the combination of the two words, Burkmüller could either refer to a family from a place called Burc-Müller or a family of millers that lived in a settlement near a fortress wall.
Burkmüller is a fairly uncommon name, historically found mainly in the German states of Hesse, Westphalia, and Bavaria. There is also evidence of the name being mainly found in the areas of Saxony, Brandenburg, Rheinland, and Mecklenburg. Today, it is an uncommon name in both Germany and Austria. In the United States, it is also uncommon and is primarily found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Order DNA origin analysisBurkmüller: Where does the name Burkmüller come from?
The last name Burkmüller is most commonly found in Germany. The name began to spread in the Middle Ages as German settlers moved into what is now modern Austria. It is also found in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, as many of these areas were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition, Burkmüller is found in other parts of Europe including the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Romania.
The majority of Burkmüllers in Germany live in the states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Lower Saxony. In Bavaria, the city of Munich contains the highest concentration of families with that name, while in North Rhine-Westphalia it is principally found in the arround the towns of Hagen, Dortmund, and Bochum.
In the United States, the name Burkmüller is primarily found in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois. The name has also been passed down from German immigrants who came to America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these people settled in places like New York City, St. Louis, and other areas in the Midwest.
Today, the Burkmüller name can be found around the world, not just in Europe or the US, as people have moved throughout history. It is difficult to determine the exact number of people with this name, but it has certainly grown and spread in the centuries since its beginning.
Variations of the surname Burkmüller
The surname Burkmüller is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German word "burc", meaning fortified place or castle, and the Latin word "meller" meaning miller. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Burgmueller, Bürgmüller, Bürg, Bürger, Burker, Berker, Burkholder, Birkholder, Burgmann, Braegenmueller, Bragmueller, Braupmüller and many more.
The name was originally given to someone who owned or lived near a castle, fortress or fortified place, or to a miller. It was also used as an occupational name for a "bürger", which in German is someone who is a citizen of a town or city. The name was especially popular in the Middle Ages and many variations occurred as it spread over various regions of Europe.
In addition to the variants listed, markdowns and diminutives such as Bürgy, Burgi, Burki, Burkie, Burkl, Burkle and Bürkl have been recorded in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The surname has been found in a number of regional variants in Germany, such as Burkmöller, Burkemöller, Berkemöller and Berkmöller in the East Prussian province, Burkmüller in Pomerania and Brandenburg, Burkmühl in the Palatinate and Bürkmüller in Rhineland. In the United States and Canada, long time bearers of the name had sometimes simplified the spelling to "Burkhalter" or "Burkholder".
Today, the surname can be found across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world. Burkmüller is also a relatively common surname in South Africa, where it was brought to the country by German settlers during the 19th century.
Famous people with the name Burkmüller
- Fritz Burkmüller (1883: 1964), an Austrian alpinist and mountain film producer and pioneer
- Johannes Burkmüller (1831–1912), a German philosopher and theologian
- Christian Burkmüller (1826–1914), a German Lutheran theologian
- Johann Baptist Burkmüller (1886–1933), a German painter and sculptor
- Yvette Burkmüller (1904–2003), a German-born interior designer and furniture maker
- Reinhold Burkmüller (1881–1968), a German aircraft designer and aircraft manufacturer
- Frieda Burkmüller (1890–1980), a German-Austrian pianist and composer
- Bernadette Burkmüller (1922–2003), an Austrian lyric soprano
- Laura Burkmüller (1887–1981), an Austrian painter
- Anton Burkmüller (1862–1935), an Austrian operatic tenor
- Carl Burkmüller (1890–1972), a German screenwriter, cinematographer and actor
- Erwin Burkmüller (1877–1959), a German Max Planck Society physicist