Surname Meinker - Meaning and Origin
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Meinker: What does the surname Meinker mean?
The last name Meinker is of German origin and is derived from the German word “Meinkern”. This word has several meanings, but it is mostly associated with the idea of “harvesting” or “gathering.” It is also thought to be derived from the Middle High German Turn and might have designated a “turner”, someone who works with wood or metal.
The meaning of Meinker likely indicates that its earliest bearers were farmers, reapers, or craftspeople. It also suggests that these individuals worked diligently to provide for their families and to contribute to their communities.
In modern times, the last name Meinker is found in both Germany and the United States, the latter likely due to the mass immigration of Germans to the Americas during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is still a fairly common name in German speaking countries.
The Meinker surname carries with it a deep history of the hard work and determination required to gather and create the sustenance, resources, and items necessary for everyday life. It is a nod to the generations of people who dedicated themselves to the work of harvesting resources, gathering food, and crafting wares. And it serves as a reminder to today's Meinker's of their familial legacy.
Order DNA origin analysisMeinker: Where does the name Meinker come from?
The last name Meinker is most common in western Germany, specifically in the region of Hesse. It is also common in the Netherlands and Belgium. The name ‘Meinken’ is also associated with the surname.
Originally, the Meinker name was a German occupational name, though its origin is uncertain. It could have originally been a play on the word “meinker” which means “a kind of sickle” or “a kind of silver spoon”. It could also have come from the phrase “mein kern” which means “my core”.
In Germany, the average number of Meinker families in most towns is a few dozen, though there are still some larger concentrations of the name in the states of Hesse, North Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.
The name is uncommon in other countries, though it is found in small numbers in Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. The name is also sometimes seen in the United States, Canada, and other countries with large German-speaking populations. It is likely that most people with the last name of Meinker living in other countries have descended from German immigrants.
Variations of the surname Meinker
Meinker is a surname of German origin. It is an occupational name for someone who worked as a pastrycook or bread-baker, stemming from the medieval profession of minck, coming from the German verb ‘minckeln’ which means to knead.
Some variants, spellings and related surnames of Meinker, include Minck, Meincke, Meinckel, Mench, Meink, Menke, and Meincken.
Minck is an alternate spelling of Meinker, and could have been Anglicised to form the variants of Minchard, Minchard, Monks, and Monckes. Mench is another variant of Meinker that is more widely used in the US. There are also some surnames that were adopted from Meinker in the 19th century to replace the longer spelling. These include Meink, Menke, and Meincken.
Meinker is also used as a first name in some communities. Another uncommon variant, that is thought to have been made by adding the suffix 'er' to the first name Wink, is Meincker.
Finally, Meinker is widely found in Poland and Eastern Europe, where other alternate spellings include Meinke, Meincki, Meinicki, and Meinicz.
Famous people with the name Meinker
- Jakub Meinker: Popular YouTuber
- Idan Meinker: Brazilian soccer player
- Robert Meinker: Professional American bodybuilder
- Tim Meinker: Former CEO of The History Channel
- Efraim Meinker: Israeli violinist and Conductor
- Timo Meinker: German Jazz Drummer
- Tillmann Meinker: German saxophonist and composer
- Johanna Meinker: Austrian entrepreneur and politician
- Ekkehard Meinker: German sculptor
- Gamiel Meinker: French music producer