Definition:

History

Studies suggest that most likely area of origin are the vicinities of Bern and Zurich, Switzerland, the Northern Kraichgau (south of Frankfurt am Mainz) e.g. Durham, Germany. Migrations from Switzerland to Germany and thence to America during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s were the result of religious, political and economic turmoil going on during that period. Usual procedure was to move by boat to Germany from Switzerland for 4 or 5 years; then travel down the Rhine River to Holland and take the small English ships to England for a short stay, (where they were required to swear an oath of allegiance as subjects under the British Government); then travel by these tiny boats for months to the New World. Many died enroute of scurvy and unsanitary conditions in these crowded ships.

It was on the invitation of William Penn that Quakers, Amish and Mennonites, to name a few of the religious outcasts and pacifists, left their homes in England, Germany and Switzerland to seek a haven in Pennsylvania. By 1740 there were at least four seemingly unrelated Bär families, who had immigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Ours, was one of those families.

The original spelling of the German name Bär (meaning a beast) is now standardized as “Baer” in Germany and Switzerland. The spelling has been translated in America at least 38 official different ways. In one instance, in the early 1800’s, the same man’s name was spelled 5 different ways on a land title in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The most common spelling was Bear. After the civil war some of the families, hanged the spelling of their surnames to Bair.

 

Name Origin

Baer Name Meaning
German (also Bär): from Middle High German ber ‘bear’ a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal in some way a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a bear.

 

Spellings & Pronunciations

In America, the variations of “Bär” are now as follows:

Baar, Baare, Baer, Baear, Baere, Baiar, Baier, Bair, Baire, Bayre, Bairr, Bare, Baehr, Bahr, Baehre, Bahar, Baehoar, Bahor, Bayer, Bayeur, Bear, Beer, Beere, Beier, Beare, Beair, Beaire, Behr, Beir, Beirr, Bere, Beahr, Beaher, Beher, Beyar and Beyer.

Wow.

Our ancestors seemed to have settled on Bär/Baer/Bare/Bear as their official surname, though it changed over each generation to become more “American” like. They originally settled in Pennsylvania with our line then moving to helping to settle Virginia as early as 1730.

Our Bär ancestors came from Switzerland and were part of the large group of "German" speaking Mennonites that came to America to flee religious persecution. Around Zurich, the family name is reported as “Ein uraltes schon in 14 yar hundred vorkemmendes Geschlecht'’. 

Which means "An ancient generation already occurring in year 14 hundred".

The first Bär to America was Jacob Hans "Jagli" Bär and he had a Tavern. He moved to Virginia with two of his sons. One son was called Jacob "Whiskey" Baer.

There was a "bond" between Jacob and his father-in-law Adam Miller dated September 28, 1754 for the purchase of 280 acres.

It was "Conditioned upon payment of 200 pounds above and also during 
ADAM's life yearly 25 bushels of wheat ground, 10 bushels or 
barley, 33 gallons of whiskey, 200 weight of meat, 1/2 of 
pork and 1/2 of beer, 1/3 of orchard or profits of it, ADAM 
and his family to dwell in the same house now-a-building on 
said plantation, and to have a garden, two cows and a horse."

This is the reason of Jacob's nickname.

These 280 acres of land contained a Lithia Spring on it and would be the basis for the Bear Lithia Springs Water Company. More on that later.