indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Pronounced Pron. O|vah|behk(Low German, Old English) O|fehrh|behk(German) O|vər|bek(American English) [key]
Other Forms FormsOfferbeek, Overbeek, Overbeeke, Averbeck
Meaning & History
From Low German over meaning "über" (over as a direct english translation) and beck meaning "Bach" (creek, stream). As opposed to many other germanic names it doesn't stem from someone's occupation rather from their address, with the exact meaning being something like "über dem Bach" (over the creek). Another also locational origin is the name of various place names in and around the district of Munster,North-Rine Westphalia, a region in Germany. As Low German is closely related to Dutch aswell as Anglo-Saxon (Old English), there are overlappings in the exact linguistic origin. A notable portion of modern bearers of the name live in the US, this is due to the emigration of Germans to the US in the 1880's. The form Overbeeke is dutch, Overbrook English / Anglo-Saxon while Averbeck is most commonly found in the US. In the US any form of this name is highly concentrated in Pennsylvania, this is due to the many Amish families living there, who hold a significant portion of German and Dutch ancestors.