Surname Brinkhus - Meaning and Origin
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Brinkhus: What does the surname Brinkhus mean?
The last name Brinkhus is of German origin and is composed of two elements, “Brink” and “Hus”. The name is derived from the Old German words “brinc” and “hus”, which mean “house on the brink of a hill” or “hill house”.
The last name likely originated from a family living in a house that was at the top of a hill. From the elevated position of their home, those with the last name had a view of their surrounding land in an otherwise hilly area.
This surname first appeared in German records in the late 1700s, and by the early 1800s, the name had spread throughout Germany. It became particularly prominent in the region of Bavaria.
Today, people with the last name Brinkhus are found living in Germany, the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Overall, the German last name Brinkhus is linked to a house perched on the edge of a hill. Those bearing this name can look to their ancestry for ties to a topographical identifier that has been in their family for centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisBrinkhus: Where does the name Brinkhus come from?
The last name Brinkhus is commonly found in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. In the Netherlands, it is most common in the Limburg region. It is concentrated there in the cities of Venlo, Roermond, and Eindhoven. In Germany, it is particularly common in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. Lastly, in the United States, Brinkhus is predominantly found in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
In the Netherlands, records first show the Brinkhus name as far back as 1526. According to German historians, the Brinkhus family was a prominent political family that specialized in business and banking.
The Brinkhus family is believed to have travelled from Germany to the US prior to the Second World War. Some estimate that as many as 250,000 people of Dutch descent descended from Brinkhus (or variants with the same surname) in the US. Today, the last name is also found in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
A few places in the US bear the name, such as Lace Brinkhus in Rice County, Minnesota and the Brinkhus Quarry in Reeseville, Wisconsin.
Variations of the surname Brinkhus
The name Brinkhus is an old German surname, originally found in northern Germany and Denmark. Its variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include
Brenkhaus, Brinkhaus, Brinckhaus, Brinckhues, Brinkhues, Brinkhouses, Brinkhuis, Brinckhuis, and Brinckhuse.
The name Brinckhuis is the most common variation, and it is derived from the German word "brinke", which means bridge. It is believed that the name was originally given to individuals who lived near a bridge in Northern Germany and Denmark during medieval times.
Brinkhus derives from an Old German word ‘brinc’, which describes the construction of a bridge. The spelling variations of the surname also include Brenkhaus, Brinkhaus and Brinckhaus. All of these spellings can be found in Germany and Denmark.
The name Brinkhuis is believed to have been derived from a Dutch nickname for an individual who lived near a bridge. The variant spellings of the name include Brinkhouses and Brinkhuse. These are derived from the Old Dutch words ‘brinc’ and ‘husen’ which mean ‘bridge house’.
Brinckhues is a variant of Brinkhus which is chiefly found in the Netherlands. It is derived from an Old Dutch name which means ‘house near the bridge’. Brinckhues can also be found in Germany, with records dating back to the 18th century.
The different variants, spellings and surnames of Brinkhus share a common origin. All of them point to a geographical location near a bridge in Northern Germany and Denmark, during the medieval period.
Famous people with the name Brinkhus
- Jorunn Brinkhus, a Norwegian pianist and journalist
- Stig Brinkhus, a former mayor of Trondheim, Norway
- Anne Brinkhus, a Norwegian athlete and cross-country skier
- Tor Brox Brinkhus, a well-known Norwegian sculptor
- Olav Brinkhus, a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician
- Torleiv Brinkhus, a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician
- Per Brinkhus, a Norwegian composer and music arranger
- Johan Brinkhus, a Swedish-Norwegian bishop
- Jan Brinkhus, a noted Norwegian composer
- Lars Brinkhus, a Norwegian professional footballer and coach
- Laurits Brinkhus, a notable Norwegian academic and historian
- John Brinkhus, a pioneering eye surgeon
- Torunn Brinkhus, a Norwegian jazz singer
- Ida Brinkhus, a 19th century Norwegian novelist
- Leonard Brinkhus, a former Norwegian Supreme Court Justice
- Lise Brinkhus, a Norwegian politician
- Hans Brinkhus, a noted Norwegian geologist
- Ole Brinkhus, a Norwegian entrepreneur and business magnate
- Vidar Brinkhus, a Norwegian Paralympic swimmer
- Harry Brinkhus, a Norwegian Merchant Navy inspector
- Ola Brinkhus, a Norwegian speed skater
- Inge Brinkhus, a Swedish radio producer and thespian
- Christian Brinkhus, a Norwegian classical bass-baritone singer