Bocholt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany

Etymology of Bocholt

The name Bocholt comes from the German region of Westphalia. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to Germany after the 12th century, and the names of places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," which was originally an indicator of land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Bocholt family originally lived near a beech grove which is derived from the Old German word buchholz, which means beech grove, and is popular throughout Germany. The name Bocholt is the name of numerous villages in the German states.

Early Origins of the Bocholt family

Early History of the Bocholt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bocholt research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1803 is included under the topic Early Bocholt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bocholt 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 Bocholt include Bocholtz, Bockoltz, Bokoltz, Bokkoltz, Bocholtz, Bocholts, Bockolts, Bokkolts, Burkholtz, Burkoltz, Burckholtz, Burkoltz, Burgholtz, Burgholtz, Bocoltz, Burkolt, Burkoltz, Burkolts, Bocholz, Buchholtz, Bochholtz, Buchholtz, Bucholz, Bockholt, Bockhold, Bockholdz, Bocholte, Bokholdz, Bochheldt and many more.

Early Notables of the Bocholt family

Notables of the period with the name Bocholt were

• Theodor Werner Freiherr von Bocholtz

Migration of the Bocholt family

For many Germans, emigration to North America was an inviting alternative to the trials of life in the old country. From the mid-17th into the present century, thousands of Germans migrated across the Atlantic. They capitalized on the chance to escape poverty and persecution, and to own their own land. After 1650, Germans settled throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also landed in Canada, settling in Ontario or father west on the rich land of the prairies. Among them: John Burkolt who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803; Jan Bocholte who arrived in New Netherlands (New York) in 1662 with his wife and five children, Andrew Buchholz, his wife Anna and 4 children arrived in New York in 1889.