Gluck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Gluck

What does the name Gluck mean?

The ancestral home of the Gluck family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Gluck is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a family who lived near the bell tower of a church. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the German word "glocke," which means "bell," and denotes that the family or original bearer of the name either worked in the bell tower or made bells.

Early Origins of the Gluck family

The surname Gluck was first found in Bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Gluck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gluck research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1705, 1714, 1732, 1736 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Gluck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gluck 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 Gluck include Gluck, Glueck, Gluckh, Glueckh, Gluk and others.

Early Notables of the Gluck family

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

Gluck Ranking

In the United States, the name Gluck is the 8,389^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Gluck migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Gluck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Gluck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Conrad Gluck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Joh Philip Gluck, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Johannes Gluck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Johannes Gluck, who settled in Philadelphia in 1764

Gluck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz Gluck, who landed in America in 1853 2
Joseph Gluck, who arrived in Mississippi in 1873 2
Nicolaus Gluck, aged 5, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 2
Veronica Gluck, aged 16, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 2
Gertrude Gluck, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gluck (post 1700) +

Louise Elisabeth Gluck (b. 1943), American poet of German heritage awarded the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, recipient of the 2020 Noble Prize for Literature
Laurence Gluck (1953-2024), American real estate investor
Louise Elisabeth Glück (1943-2023), American poet and essayist, who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature
Eugen Gluck (1927-2019), American watch manufacturer, founder of E. Gluck Corporation in 1956, best known for his Armitron and Anne Klein product lines
Robert Gluck (b. 1955), American pianist and composer
Benjamin "Ben" Gluck (b. 1975), American Annie Award nominated director and writer, recipient of the Walter Lantz Award
Will Gluck, American contemporary film director, screenwriter and producer, best known his work on Friends with Benefits (2011), Fired Up! (2009) and Easy A (2010)
Carol Gluck (b. 1941), American academic and Japanologist
Samuel A. Glück, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 21st District, 1907-09 3
Maxwell Henry Gluck (1899-1984), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1956; U.S. Ambassador to Ceylon, 1957-58 3
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html