Bezel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Bezel

What does the name Bezel mean?

During that dark period of history known as the Middle Ages, the name of Bezel was first used in Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Bezel family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Bezel was an occupational name for a fine collector. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Bezel was derived from the German word buoze, which means fine.

Early Origins of the Bezel family

The surname Bezel was first found in Austria, where the name Bez made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early of Europe. The name Bez became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts which resulted as various groups sought to maximize their power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Bezel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bezel research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1603 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Bezel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bezel Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Bezel include Bez, Bezz, Bezze, Beze, Bes, Bese, Baz, Baez, Bazz, Baezz, Bazze, Baezze, Baze, Baeze, Bas, Baes, Base, Baese, Bezer and many more.

Early Notables of the Bezel family

More information is included under the topic Early Bezel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bezel family

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bezel or a variant listed above: Elizabeth Besse who arrived in Maryland in 1663; Wein Baes arrived in Long Island in 1680; John Bezer, accompanied by his wife Susanna and their five children, arrived in Pennsylvania in 1681.