Voelker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

Etymology of Voelker

What does the name Voelker mean?

The ancient and distinguished German surname Voelker is derived from the Germanic personal name "Volkher," which is composed of the elements "volk," meaning "people," and "her," meaning "army." The name was popular during the early Middle Ages due to the famous Austrian epic poem "Nibelungenlied," which featured a character called "Volker the Fiddler." Both the surname and the given name could be found in many areas of Germany under a number of spelling variations.

Early Origins of the Voelker family

The surname Voelker was first found in the south, near the border of Austria, where the fame of the "Niebelungenlied" first reached Germany. The first recorded bearer of the surname was Conrad filius ("son of") Volkardi, who was living near Tuttlingen, Swabia in 1280. The young Voelker family played a major role in the early history of the region, and contributed greatly to the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Voelker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Voelker research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1331, 1383, 1434, 1626, 1677, 1761, 1767 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Voelker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Voelker Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Volker, Voelker, Völker, Volkert, Folkart, Foutch, Folk, Volk, Folkerth, Fulchard, Volhard, Volchert, Folgert, Vollert and many more.

Early Notables of the Voelker family

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

Voelker Ranking

In the United States, the name Voelker is the 8,094^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Voelker migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Voelker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nicholas Voelker, who landed in Mississippi in 1844 2
Mr. Eugen Voelker, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Weser"
Mr. Julius Voelker, aged 23, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "William Bryan"
Anna Barbara Voelker, who settled in North America in 1847
Leopold Voelker, who arrived in Iowa in 1850 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Voelker Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Christian Voelker, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1903
Edmund Voelker, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
Charles Voelker, aged 54, who landed in America, in 1908
Amandus Voelker, aged 35, who landed in America from Meissen, Germany, in 1911
Clovis Voelker, aged 45, who landed in America, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Voelker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Voelker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Andreas Voelker, who settled in Newfoundland in 1777 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Voelker (post 1700) +

Christopher Voelker (b. 1961), American freelance studio photographer
Bobby Voelker (b. 1979), American professional mixed martial arts fighter
John D. Voelker (1903-1991), American attorney, judge, and writer best known as the author of the novel, Anatomy of a Murder published in 1958
Paul F. Voelker (b. 1875), American Democratic Party politician, Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1933-35 4
Joseph Voelker, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1944, 1948 4
John Donaldson Voelker (1903-1991), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1937-39; Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1956 4
John Voelker, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1916 4
Frank Voelker, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1944 4
Charlie Voelker, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 46th District, 2008 4
Elke Voelker (b. 1968), German organist, church musician and musicologist

Historic Events for the Voelker family +

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Henry Joseph Voelker, German born American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html