Map of Germany showing where the Burchfield arms are recorded
The Burchfield arms were recorded in Lubeck, c. 1765.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Germany in this period.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Burchfield arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Germany.
Origin & History of the Burchfield Family in Germany
The surname Burchfield is an anglicized variation of names originating from the Germanic regions of Europe. Historical records confirm that members of the family were established in the city of Lübeck by 1765, a time when the city served as a major hub for trade and migration. The name itself likely evolved from geographic descriptions, as the prefix "Burch" often relates to a fortified settlement or castle, while "field" refers to open land. This suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely people who lived near or worked on land associated with a local stronghold. As families moved across borders during the eighteenth century, the spelling was adapted to fit the phonetic patterns of English-speaking regions, eventually settling into the form recognized today.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Burgfeld
A fortified enclosure or castle situated near an open field.
This name
BurchfieldA topographic identifier for someone who lived near a fortified field or castle grounds.
also spelled
Brechefelt
Brechfeld
Brekefeld
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archiv der Hansestadt Lübeck, Niederstadtbuch (1765)
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt (1967)
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich (1903)
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
