Barker Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Barker Origin:

England, France

Origins of Name:

The surname of Barker has two possible origins. The first of these being an occupational name for one who had the occupation of being a tanner of leather. The surname Barker originated from the Pre 7th Century Old English words “berc” or possibly “beorc” and then the Middle English word “barken” or “bark” both words which can be defined and translated as tanning, as in the bark of the tree, which was used in the process of tanning. The surname may also possibly have derived from the Old French word “berchier” or “bercher” “berker” or “berkier” all of which can be translated to mean a shepherd. With the middle English change from “ar” to “er” when “barker” meant shepherd, this was when the term became distinguishable as being able to be translated to mean a “tanner.”

Variations:

More common variations are:

Bariker, Bareker, Barkero, Barkery, Barcker, Barkeer, Bbarker, Barkier, Barkman, Barkerr, Baraker

History:

England:

The first recorded spelling of the surname of Barker was in the country of England in the year of 1185. One person by the name of Ralph Berker was notated and recorded in the “Record of the Templars in Yorkshire” which was written and decreed under the order of King Henry II, who was known as and commonly referred to throughout history as “The Builder of Churches.” King Henry II ruled from the year of 1154 to the year of 1189. Other mentions of this surname of Barker were found in different historical documents throughout England. Alurdeus le Berkier is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in the year 1193, which John le Bercher appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hampshire in the year 1212. In church documents, one Edward Barker was shown to have married Margaret Stevenson at the church of St. Peter Cornhill, in London in the year 1551. Those who bear the surname of Barker can be found throughout the country of England, originating in Cambridgeshire. However, the areas with the highest concentration of those who bear the surname of Barker can be found in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Essex and Staffordshire.

Scotland:

Those who carry the surname of Barker can be found in the areas of Fife, Stirlingshire, and Lanarkshire counties.

United States of America:

hroughout the 17th Century, a period of time known as the European Migration began throughout Europe, though mostly centered in England. This migration was when the settlers determined that they no longer were happy with their homeland, and sought out a new place to live, one promising new freedoms and capabilities that were not afforded to them in the land of their birth. The United States of America, which at that time was called The New World or The Colonies, promised these freedoms to new settlers, and thus was a popular destination during this time for those settlers. The first person who was recorded to bear the surname of Fleming was one Elizabeth Barker, who arrived in the United States of America in the year 1620. Those who live in the United States of America and bear the surname of Barker can be found in various places throughout the country. The places with the highest concentration of people who bear the surname of Barker are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arkansas, and New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Kentucky.

Barker Today:

United States 99,771

England 42,085

Australia 14,867

Canada 10,095

South Africa 9,004

New Zealand 2,885

Scotland 1,975

Wales 1,400

Mexico 1,021

Guyana 904

Notable People:

Miss Winifred Barker (died in 1915) who was an American 2nd Class passenger from Trenton, New Jersey, USA, who was aboard the RMS Lusitania and died when it sank.

Mrs. Martha Ann Barker (nee Bullock) who was an American 2nd Class passenger from Trenton, New Jersey, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania and survived the sinking of the vessel

Major-General Ray Wahnes Barker (1889-1974) who was a Commanding General in the 78th Division from America, and who served in North-West Europe from the year 1945 to the year 1946

Major-General John DeForrest Barker (1897-1986) who was an Acting Commanding Officer of the Air University at Maxwell, AFB, Alabama in the year 1953, who was from America

Brigadier-General Harold Richards Baker (1891-1965) who was an American Commanding Officer from the 68th Field Artillery Brigade from the year 1937 to the year 1942

S. L. Barker, who was a Delegate to Republican National Convention from the state of Kentucky in the year 1952, and who was from America

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Az. two dolphins hauriant or.
2) Gu. three lions ramp. ar.
3) Ar. two endorses, as many barrulets gu.
1) (Bocking Hall, co. Essex, and Kilcooley Abbey, co. Tipperary, descended from Alderman Wm. Barker, youngest son of Sir Robert Barker, K.B., of Grimston Hall, Suffolk; Sir Wm. Barker, the 3rd. bart. of Bocking Hall, left a son, William at (whose decease, in 1818, the title expired) and two daus., of whom the elder, Mary, m. Chambre Brabazon Ponsonby, and was grandmother of William Ponsonby Barker, Esq. of Kilcooley Abbey). Per fesse nebulee az. and sa. three martlets or, a canton erm. quartering Ponsonby. Crest—1st, a bear sejant or, collared sa., for Barker; 2nd, out of a ducal coronet az. three arrows one and two in saltire points downwards, enveloped with a snake in pale ppr., for Ponsonby.
2) (allowed by the Deputies of Camden, Clarenceux, to Richard Barker, of Coventry, fifth son of William Barker, co. Berks, who was grandson of Thomas Barker, of Wokingham, Her. Vis.). Per chev. engr. or and sa. a lion ramp. counterchanged. Crest—A demi Moor ppr. in dexter hand an arrow or, feathered and headed ar. on his sinister arm a shield of the first, on his shoulder a sash gu.
3) (Over and Vale Royal, co. Chester, confirmed 1638). Gu. a fesse chequy ar. and az. in chief three annulets or. Crest—A falcon ar. standing on a hawk’s lure gu. stringed or.
4) (Hurst, cos. Berks, Essex, and Warwick). Per chev. engr. or and sa. a lion ramp. counterchanged. Crest—A naked boy ppr. holding an arrow.
5) (Croboy and Stirling, co. Meath, confirmed to William Oliver Barker, M.D., of Dunboyne, co. Meath, and of Dublin). Motto—Mors potior macula. Per chev engr. or and sa. a lion ramp. counterchanged in the dexter chief point a crescent of the lecond. Crest—A demi Moor ppr. over his left shoulder a sash gu. in his dexter hand an arrow or, feathered and headed ar. and on his sinister arm a shield gold charged with a crescent sa.
6) (Buckinghamshire). Or, on a fesse indented az. three fleurs-de-lis of the field, (another, the fesse vert). Crest—A turtle dove ppr. In the beak a rose gu. stalked and leaved vert.
7) (Bockenhall, co. Essex). Erm. on a fesse sa. three fleurs-de-lis or. Crest—An ostrich’s head erased or, holding in the beak a horseshoe ar.
8) (Kent, Middlesex, and Surrey). Barry of ten or and sa. over all a bend gu. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, an eagle displ. sa. beaked and legged gu.
9) (Newbury). Ar. three bears’ heads erased gu. muzzled or, in chief as many torteaux. Crest—A bear’s head erased per pale or and az. muzzled of the first betw. two wings the dexter az. the sinister gold.
10) (Norfolk). Or, a chev. az. fretty of the first betw. three hurts, on a chief sa. a hound pass. ar. betw. two mullets of the field.
11) (Hambleton and Lyndon, co. Rutland, of which was Sir Abel Barker, created a bart. in 1664. The late Samuel Barker, of Lyndon, Esq., sheriff of Rutlandshire, in 1815, left at his decease two daus. his co-heirs). Per fesse nebulee sa. and or, three martlets counterchanged. Crest—A bear sejant ppr.
12) (Woolerton, cos. Salop and Worcester). Az. five escallops in cross or. Crest—On a rock ar. a hawk close or.
13) (South Leverton, co. Nottingham). Ar. three piles in point vert over all a chev. gu.
14) (Christopher Barker, Garter King of Arms, temp. Henry VIII.). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. three bears’ heads erased gu. muzzled or, in chief three torteaux; 2nd and 3rd, for Carlyle, ar. on a chev. sa. betw. three ravens ppr. as many estoiles or. Crest—A bear’s head erased gu. muzzled or.
15) (Haughmond, co. Salop. Rowland Barker, of Haughmond, was sheriff, 1585, and Walter Barker served in 1621. The eventual heiress, Alice, dan. of John Barker, Esq., m. Sir Thomas Leigh, ancestor of the Leighs, of Stoneleigh). Gu. a fesse componee or and az. betw. six annulets of the second.
16) (granted to Thomas Barker, Esq., of Roslyn Hall, Sydney, New South Wales). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, per chev. gu. and ar. in chief three escallops of the last and in base a bear sejant sa. muzzled or, for Barker; 2nd and 3rd, az. an eagle displ. within an orle of four estoiles and as many annulets alternately all or, for Schuldham. Crest—A bear sejant sa. muzzled and gorged with a collar gemels or, holding in the paws an escutcheon gu. charged with an escallop ar.
17) (alias Gery) (Wallerton, co. Salop, Visit. London, 1568). Az. two bars ar. in chief a griffin’s head erased or, betw. two pheons of the last.
18) (George Barker, Esq., J.P., Caston and Shipdham, co. Norfolk). Ar. three bears’ heads, erased gu. muzzled or, a chief of the second. Crest—A bear’s head erased sa. muzzled or.
19) (of Holbeach, co. Lincoln). Motto—Fide sed cui vide. Az. a lion ramp. ar. within an orle of eight fleurs-de-lis or. Crest—Issuant from a ducal coronet or, a griffin’s head ppr.
20) (Shropshire). Per saltire erm. and az. on a bordure gu. eight annulets or.
21) (Ipswich, co. Suffolk). Per fesse nebulee az. and sa. three martlets or, a canton erm. Crest—A greyhound sejant ar. gorged with a collar and ring, to the last a line or, the line held from him with his dexter foot. Another Crest—A bear sejant or, collared sa.
22) (Grimston Hall, co. Suffolk; settled at Ipswich from a remote period, created bart. in 1622, extinet 1766). Per fesse nebulee vert and sa. three martlets or, a canton erm.
23) (Billesdon, co. Suffolk). Gu. a fesse chequy or and az. betw. six annulets of the second.
24) (Suffolk). Or, a bend betw. six billets sa.
25) (Yorkshire). Ar. three bears’ heads erased sa. in chief three torteaux.
26) Gu. on a cross pattee or, five annulets sa.
27) Per fesse or and sa. a lion ramp. counterchanged.
28) Or, a lion ramp. sa.
29) Ar. three larks ppr.
30) (Albrighton Hall, Wolverhampton, co. Stafford). Az. five escallops in cross or. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, an eagle displ. sa. beaked and legged gu.