Marck Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

This is a Dutch surname that derived from the personal name Marck, which was the Dutch version of the personal or first name of the English Mark, with Mark being a Saint and author of the second gospel of the Holy Bible. The name has also been spelled van der Marck or von der Marck(e), as there are several locations in the Netherlands so called: Maarke, Marke, Landemark, Marck, Marcq, and Koremark. The Middle Dutch word merke means a borderland, so this surname may have been given to people who lived near a border. The name also has French origins as there is a place in France so called in Pas-de-Calais (a department in northern France). Once source claims the name derives from the old personal name Marcus, from the word mar (gleam), or it even may be associated with Mars, the Roman god of war. Another source claims the name originated in the old German state of Prussia. The name has sometimes been anglicized to Marks and Marx.

The earliest known person to bear this last name was Heinrich Mark in 1390, who was documented in the charter of the town of Biberach, Germany. Early settlers in America bearing this surname include Michel Marck (Philadelphia 1741), George Marck (Philadelphia 1785), and Jacob Marck (New York 1785).

A one Mathias Marck was born in 1627 in Tirul, Wenns, Austria. He married Maria Kirschner in 1662 in Germany and had three issue with her: Martin, Georgius, Michael. Martin was born in 1663 in the same city. He married Marie Ohnmacht in 1696 in Wollenberg, Palatinate and passed away in 1733. He had a son named Johann Baltazar Marx or Marks.

A one Kilian or Killian Merck or Marck, Mark, or Marks was born in 1719 in Embrach, Switzerland. He was the son of Hans Heinrich Merki. He married a woman named Catharina and also Anna Maria. He had three sons: Conrad, Conrad, and Mark. He died in 1792 in East Hanover, Pennsylvania. Conrad was born in 1745 and married Margaretha Meyer. Together they had the following children before he died in Flourtown, PA: Peter, John, Margaretha, Maria Magdalena, Maria Barbara, Catharina, Jacob, and John. The eldest John was born in 1775 (and also spelled the last name Marks?). He married Anna Margreth Koehler and they had four children: Rebecca, Ester, John, and Sarah Ann. He died in 1859 in Lehigh County, PA.

Notable people bearing this name in history include: 1) William de la Marck (1446-1485) who was an adventure and figure in the Prince Bishopric of Liege who was nicknamed “The Wild Boar of Ardennes), 2) William II de la Marck (1542-1578) who was Lord of Lumey and admiral of the Watergeuzen (a confederacy of Dutch Calvinist nobles), and 3) Erard de la Marck (1472-1538) who was a prince-bishop of Liege and third son of Robert I de la Marck.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (Comtes de la), seigneurs d’Arenberg – Westphalie – Écartelé aux 1 et 4 d’or à la fasce échiquetée d’argent et de gueules de trois tires aux 2 et 3 d’argent à trois roses de gueules Cimier une queue de paon au naturel entre deux proboscides celle à dextre échiquetée d’argent et de gueules celle à senestre d’or plein English: Quarterly: 1st and 4th or a fess checky of three rows argent and gules; 2nd and 3rd argent three roses gules; Crest: a tail of a peacock proper, between two proboscides – that to the dexter checky argent and gules, that to the sinister – or plain [uncharged].
2) Normandie – (An., 1510) – D’azur à trois triangles d’argent 2 et 1 acc en chef d’une étoile (6) d’or English: Azure three triangles argent – 2 and 1, accompanied in chief by an etoile of 6 points or.
3) (Comtes de la) – Westphalie – (M. ét.) – D’or à la fasce échiquetée d’argent et de gueules de trois tires (augmenté plus tard d’un lion naissant de gueules armé et lampassé d’azur mouvant de la fasce) Casque timbré d’une couronne d’or dont le cercle est échiqueté d’argent et de gueules de trois tires Cimier un vol à l’antique d’or (La branche qui portait le lion dans l’écu timbrait d’un casque couronné ayant pour cimier le lion issant entre deux cornes de buffle d’or V Barons von der Mark) English: Or a fess checky argent and gules, of three rows (later to the armorial is added a lion naissant gules, armed and langued azure, issuing from the fess ); Over the helmet a crown or with the circlet checky argent and gules of three rows; Crest: a pair of ancient wings or (the family branches with the lion in the shield are bearing a helmet with a Crest: the lion issuant, between two buffalo horns or (V Barons of the Mark)).
4) (Comtes de la) – Westphalie – (M. ét.) – D’or à la fasce échiquetée d’argent et de gueules de trois tires à trois roses de gueules 2 en chef et 1 en pointe Casque timbré d’une couronne d’or dont le cercle est échiqueté d’argent et de gueules de trois tires à deux cornes de buffle d’argent et de gueules Cimier un vol à l’antique d’or English: Or a fess checky argent and gules of three rows, surrounded by three roses gules – 2 in chief and 1 in base; Over the helmet a crown or with the circlet checky of three rows argent and gules, and horned with two buffalo horns argent and gules; Crest: a pair of ancient wings or.
5) (van Der) – Leyde – D’or à la fasce de gueules acc de trois hures de sanglier de sable défendues d’argent Cimier une hure de sanglier de l’écu entre un vol d’or et de sable English: Or a fess gules, accompanied by three wild boar’s heads sable, tusked argent; Crest: a wild boar’s head, as in the shield, between a pair of wings – or and sable.
6) (von Der) – Westphalie – (Barons, 23 nov. 1754) – D’or à la fasce échiquetée de gueules et d’argent de trois tires Casque couronné Cimier deux cornes de buffle celle à dextre échiquetée de gueules et d’argent celle à senestre d’or plein Lambrequin d’or et de gueules English: Or a fess checky of three rows gules and argent; Crowned with a helmet – Crest: two buffalo horns, that to the dexter checky – gules and argent, that to the sinister or plain [uncharged]; Mantling: or and gules.
7) (van) – Flandre – D’argent au lion de gueules ch sur l’épaule d’un écusson d’or au chef palé de gueules et d’argent English: Argent a lion gules, charged over the shoulder by an escutcheon or with a chief paly gules and argent.
8) (van) de Lumène – Bruges – De gueules au lion d’argent armé et lampassé d’azur couronné d’or Cimier deux jambes armées de sable lisérées et éperonnées d’or les pieds en haut tournés à dextre ou deux jambes armées celle à dextre d’argent et celle à senestre de gueules éperonnées d’or les pieds en haut tournés à dextre Cri LIMBOURG! LIMBOURG! ou WASSEMBERGH! Devise MES FORCES MARCK English: Gules a lion argent, armed and langued azure, crowned or; Crest: two legs armoured sable Edged and spurred or, the feet upwards, turned to the dexter (alternatively two legs armoured , that to the dexter argent and that to the sinister gules, spurs or, the feet upwards, turned to the dexter with the sign – LIMBOURG! LIMBOURG! (alternatively) WASSEMBERGH!; Motto: MES FORCES MARCK.