Surname Dehnen - Meaning and Origin
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Dehnen: What does the surname Dehnen mean?
The last name Dehnen is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word 'tehan', meaning “push” or “strain”. It was a reference to the physical or emotional strain that a person had to undergo to carry out a task or activity. The Dehnen family initially lived in the area of the Rhineland in Germany. Over time, the original spelling of the name has been changed in a variety of ways, including Dehn, Dehne, Dahn, Dohne and Dehne.
The Dehnen surname could be found in records of many different regions of the former German Empire. The earliest reference to the Dehnen surname appears in 1671 in the central German province of Hessen. Records show that a man by the name of Johannes Hans Dehnen lived in the then-province. These records also contain information about descendants of Johannes Hans Dehnen, including the various locations where they lived and the occupations they held.
The Dehnen surname has always been most commonly found in Germany, however there are many individuals with the Dehnen name who can be found in other areas of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. The Dehnen name has been passed down for many generations, across countless cultures - a testament to its strength and durability.
Overall, the Dehnen surname is derived from German roots and carries a lot of history and meaning. It stands as a representation of the strength and perseverance of the family that bears the name, and serves as a reminder of the achievements of their ancestors.
Order DNA origin analysisDehnen: Where does the name Dehnen come from?
The last name Dehnen is most commonly found in Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. It is especially common in the Reformed Protestant communities of the Lower Rhine area in western Germany and eastern Netherlands.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name is found in Lutheran records from the late 1600s in the Rhine district. The exact origin of the name has been lost to history, although it is believed to be derived from the old Germanic word for “deep” or “deeply” suggesting that the name refers to someone who was a very deep thinker or a very learned person.
The name is most commonly associated with the Dehnen family that were originally from the German state of Nordrhein Westphalia. The original Dehnens came to the United States in the mid-1800s and have since spread throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The surname is not especially common in the United States, where it ranks around 4,000 out of the 88,799 most common surnames. However, it is much more common in its native Germany and the other countries it is found in, where it is estimated that the surname is held by between 5,000 and 10,000 people.
Variations of the surname Dehnen
The surname Dehnen is of German origin. It is derived from the Old Germanic words “Deh,” meaning “depth,” and “Heinz,” meaning “estate keeper." Variants for the surname Dehnen include Dehne, Dehn, Dahn, Dahne, Danne, and Thane. Spellings of the surname include Deshnes, Dehns, Dahns, Dans, and Thans.
The surnames Dene and Denne may also be related to Dehnen in some cases. They originate from an Old Germanic word, “Denn,” meaning “thicket” or “forest.” Meanwhile, an unrelated surname with the same spelling is Deshien, derived from the Old Germanic words “Deh,” meaning “depth,” and “Yon,” meaning “young."
In modern times, various people and places bear the name Dehnen or its variants, such as the Dehne family from the village of Benkhausen in Germany; the Dehne family from the city of Itzehoe in Germany; and the Deshni family from the city of Gurgaon in India.
In the United States, the surname Dehnen can be found as far back as the late 1700s, with the marriage of Peter Henrich Deshne and Elizabeth Margaretha Maas in Pennsylvania. In addition, the surname Deshni can be found in the United States, as far back as 1823, with the birth of J. C. Deshni in New York.
Famous people with the name Dehnen
- Evelyn Dehnen, German actress and singer.
- Norbert Dehnen, German former footballer.
- Ursula Dehnen, German actress.
- Helmut Dehnen, German film director and screenwriter.
- Udo Dehnen, German footballer and coach.
- Friedrich Dehnen, Austrian painter.
- Oskar Dehnen, German actor.
- Rudolf Dehnen, German writer and painter.
- Jürgen Dehnen, German film director and producer.
- Karl Dehnen, German actor and theatre director.
- Bernhard Dehnen, German former footballer and coach.
- Wilfrid Dehnen, German former rugby union player.
- Hans Dehnen, German former footballer.
- Klaus Dehnen, German theatre detective and author.
- Tura-Sana Dehnen, German writer and dramaturge.