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Show ContentsBack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Back Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Back

What does the name Back mean?

The Back family's name is originates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon personal name Bacga, Bacca having derived from the Old Northern English bæc or Old Norse bekk-rir, belonging to Back, or dweller by a Brook. 1 2 3

In some cases, the name is from the Dutch Bac, Bak; a personal name. 4 In other cases, the name is "sometimes synonymous with Beck, but more generally either [means] a wharf or a ferry where it is pluralized to Backs, whence Bax." 5

Early Origins of the Back family

The surname Back was first found in Somerset, where the name first appears as an Old English Byname, Godwine Bace c. 1055. Later, Richard Bac was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall in 1182 and Richard Backe in Suffolk in 1277. Kenry le Bak was found in Kent in 1297. 6

Again in Somerset, John atte Back was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 7

Much later, we found two listing of the family in Scotland, Janet Back in Learbarmor, 1683 (Stirling), and George Back in Edinburgh, 1689. 8

Early History of the Back family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Back research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1055, 1182, 1277, 1297, 1327, 1349, 1369, 1563, 1594, 1689, 1754, 1796 and 1878 are included under the topic Early Back History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Back Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Back has been recorded under many different variations, including Back, Backe, Bace, Bac, Bak, Bache, Bax and others.

Early Notables of the Back family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir George Back (1796-1878), a famous Arctic explorer

Back Ranking

In the United States, the name Back is the 3,655th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 9 However, in France, the name Back is ranked the 8,427th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 10

Back migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Back or a variant listed above:

Back Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Back, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 11
Back Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jobs Back, who landed in New York in 1709 11
  • George Dan Back, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 11
  • Henry Daniel Back, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 11
  • Philip Jacob Back, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 11
  • Johanes Back, aged 25, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1740 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Back Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Back, who landed in New York in 1815 11
  • Baltazar Back, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 11
  • George Back, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1850
  • J Back, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 11
  • Johan Peter Back, aged 29, who landed in America in 1852 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Back migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Back Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Back, English carrier who was convicted in Sussex, England for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Francis Back, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 13
  • Sarah Back, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 13
  • Frances Back, aged 31, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Agincourt" in 1850 14
  • William John Back, aged 9, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Agincourt" in 1850 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Back migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Back Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Usher Back, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Excelsior" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th March 1859 15
  • Jonas Back, aged 35, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
  • Mr. William Back, (b. 1861), aged 18, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in 1879 16

Contemporary Notables of the name Back (post 1700) +

  • Major-General George Irving Back (1894-1972), American Chief Signal Officer, Department of the Army (1951-1955) 17
  • Kenneth Back, American government official and research consultant
  • Admiral Sir George Back FRS (1796-1878), English Arctic explorer, born at Stockport, in Cheshire 18
  • Neil Antony Back (b. 1969), British former international rugby union footballer
  • Torsten Lennart Back (1933-2022), Swedish bronze medalist race walker in the 20 km event at the 1958 European Championships
  • Natasja Crone Back (b. 1971), Danish journalist and TV-show presenter
  • KJ Back, Australian bacteriologist
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Percy George Edward Back, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 19
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Cecil Robert Back, British Petty Officer Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 20
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Charles Frederick Back (d. 1912), aged 32, English Assistant Lounge Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 21
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  8. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  11. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
  14. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The AGINCOURT 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Agincourt.htm
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) George Back. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Back/George_Irving/USA.html
  18. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019
  19. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  20. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  21. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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