Behm
A German surname most likely linked to Böhme/Böhm, meaning a person from Bohemia.
The #7,443 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,978 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Behm is generally treated as a variant spelling of German Böhm or Böhme. Those surnames began as an ethnic or regional name for someone from Bohemia, the historic region in Central Europe. In older German spelling, the umlaut could be lost or simplified, producing forms such as Behm.
History
The historical excerpts explicitly connect Behm with Böhme/Böhm and note older spellings such as Hans Behem in the 15th century. The name appears in German-speaking areas and later became established in North America through immigration. In some records it may overlap with Jewish surname forms influenced by the same German-place-name tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older sources spell the name with vowels that reflect the same Bohemia connection in different ways, which is why related forms can look quite different at first glance.
From the historical record
“Behl- s. Bil. Behm s. Böhme. Behn- s. Berin (Y., einst E.). Behr- s. Ber (V., einst. K.).”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen