Lerch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lerch

What does the name Lerch mean?

The name Lerch reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Lerch family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Lerch is a name for a bowman or archer. The surname Lerch was originally derived from the Old French word archer, and the preposition le, which means the, which is abbreviated to l' when placed next to a vowel, as in l'archer.

Early Origins of the Lerch family

The surname Lerch was first found in Derbyshire and Nottingham, where they were granted lands by King William, Duke of Normandy, for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. William L'Archairus, was General of bowmen for Duke William, and he was granted the Hundred of Sunburne in Hampshire in the year 1086. He was so recorded in the Domesday Book. Both William L'Archer and his son were, according to Barlow, and his "Peerage of England," at the Conquest.

Early History of the Lerch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lerch research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1778 is included under the topic Early Lerch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lerch Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Larcher, Lercher, Lurcher, Larchier and others.

Early Notables of the Lerch family

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

Lerch Ranking

In the United States, the name Lerch is the 9,312^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Lerch migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lerch or a variant listed above:

Lerch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anthony Lerch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Peter Lerch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Joh Jacob Lerch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2
Antony Lerch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1757 2
Nicholas Lerch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lerch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Aug. Lerch, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "St. Pauli"
Burkhard Lerch, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 2
William Lerch, who arrived in America in 1864 2
Agnes Lerch, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1892
Amalia Lerch, aged 14, who immigrated to America, in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lerch Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Anna Lerch, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
Anton Lerch, aged 60, who settled in America, in 1907
Anna Lerch, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1908
Anne Lerch, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1910
Bernhard Lerch, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lerch (post 1700) +

Major-General Archer Lynn Lerch (1894-1947), American Commandant of Provost Marshal Training Center (1942) 3
Marilyn Lerch (b. 1936), American-born, Canadian poet, teacher, and activist
Randy Louis Lerch (b. 1954), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
W. A. Lerch, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Northampton County, 1879-82 4
Norbert A. Lerch, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Macomb County 3rd District, 1961 4
Marilyn R. Lerch, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for Presidential Elector for District of Columbia, 1972 4
John B. Lerch, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1916 4
John Lerch, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1877-81 4
Fred Louis Lerch (1902-1989), Austrian actor
Mathias Lerch (1860-1922), Czech mathematician, eponym of the Lerch zeta function

Historic Events for the Lerch family +

Bismarck

Rudolf Lerch (1916-1979), German Maschinenmaat serving aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 5

The Lerch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sola bona quae honesta
Motto Translation: Those things only are good which are honest.

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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Archer Lerch. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Lerch/Archer_Lynn/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details