Bismarck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany

Etymology of Bismarck

The Bismarck surname is thought to derived from a place named Bismarck, in Altmark. Derived from "Biscopes" the name referred to the border region around a bishopric In the Holy Roman Empire, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names often originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the bearer of the name was an aristocrat.

Early Origins of the Bismarck family

Early History of the Bismarck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bismarck research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1311, 1683, 1750 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Bismarck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bismarck Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Bismarck include Bismark, Bismarke, Bismarck, Bismarcke, Bismarch and many more.

Early Notables of the Bismarck family

Notable figures of the time with the name Bismarck were

• Ludolf August von Bismarck (1683-1750), a Russian General

Migration of the Bismarck family

The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Bismarcks to arrive in North America, and among them were: members of the family who eventually arrived on the eastern seaboard of North America.