Surname Fleck - Meaning and Origin
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Journeying into my Ancestry: The Fleck saga unfolds through the iGENEA DNA test
The iGENEA DNA test unraveled the vibrant saga of my lineage, the Fleck family. The vibrant saga brought the abstract idea of ancestry to life, revealing an ancient tale of human endeavors and resilience, and has profoundly impacted my understanding and perception of my family name and identity.
P. Fleck
read moreFleck: What does the surname Fleck mean?
The last name Fleck is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German word 'fleck', meaning 'spot'. In Middle and Early Modern German, the term 'Fleck' was used to refer to smallholders or tenant farmers that had a spot of land. Over time, the surname Fleck may have come to represent people who once either lived in such dwellings, or owned such landholdings.
In America, the German spelling of the name was anglicized to 'Fleck,' and it spread throughout the country as immigrants moved from one region to another. Today, those bearing the surname Fleck are found throughout the United States, as well as in other parts of the world, and the surname is often associated with German or Swiss ancestry.
The Fleck surname also means 'one who plays a flute', stemming from the Middle High German word 'flecken' which translates to 'to flute' or 'to pipe'. Those bearing this variation of the surname likely had an ancestor who was a musician or flute maker.
In short, the surname Fleck has a few different origins and meanings, but overall it has associations with German ancestry, smallholder or tenant farmers, and musicians.
Order DNA origin analysisFleck: Where does the name Fleck come from?
The last name Fleck is most commonly found in Germany. This surname is also found in the United States, particularly in states with large German-American populations such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. According to the United States Census, in 2019 those two states combined had over 690,000 individuals with the surname Fleck.
The name Fleck is believed to have derived from the Middle German word "fleckmen" which means to patch or mend. The name could have also been adopted to describe a kind of clothing meant to be patched and mended as one could have been known as a Fleckman.
The name is also found throughout Europe. In Austria, for example, the surname is very common and has been since the late 1700s. In the Netherlands the name is more frequent in the southern parts of the country, as individuals with the name are believed to originate in that region.
Moreover, with the migration of German people to the New World, the last name Fleck spread all over the world. From the United States to Canada and even down to South America, the familiar name can be found. It is even possible to trace the name to other continents such as Asia and Africa as people have traveled from different locales throughout the world.
Bottom line, the surname Fleck is common today in a variety of locations. It has its roots in Germany but has since spread to all four corners of the world.
Variations of the surname Fleck
The surname Fleck can be spelled in various ways, and may have multiple surnames of the same origin. Surnames with the same origin as Fleck may include Fleiger, Flicker, Flegel, and Flach. Other variations of the surname Fleck may include Flecke, Fleckel, Flecken, and Flecklein. These surnames typically have Germanic origins, originating from the protogermanic word “flekka” or “flikkan” which means to “sprinkle” or “dash”. This also gives us the origin of the noun fleck, referring to a small, speck-sized drop or mark on something.
In some cases, the surname Fleck may have been previously spelled with a phonetic variation such as Flex, Fless, Fleckh, Flick, Fleek, Fleckes, Flechs, and Flecks. The earliest recorded instance of the surname Fleck dates back to 1215 in Germany when a Heinrich der Flekke was recorded in the Latin work “In Schiltgered”. Some other variations of the surname can be found in records from the Swiss region of Telfs or from the city of Weimar, located in Saxony-Anhalt.
The surname Fleck may have also been adopted or altered by immigrants from different regions such as England or Spain. Some of these variants of the surname may include Fleckner, Fleckens, Fleskes, Flecker, and Fleckstein. It is also possible that Fleck is the shortened form of flecken, which is derived from the Middle High German flekken and Old High German fleck, both of which mean mark or spot. As for other surnames related to Fleck, these can be traced to other countries such as Italy, Austria, France, and the Czech Republic.
Famous people with the name Fleck
- Chris Fleck: An American technology businessman working in the software industry. He is the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Oracle Corporation.
- Béla Fleck: An American musician and composer who is best known for playing acoustic and electric banjo, in genres such as jazz, bluegrass, funk, and rock.
- Joshua Bell: An American virtuoso violinist and conductor who plays in genres such as classical, blues, and folk.
- Kaki King: A Grammy-nominated American guitarist and composer who plays a wide range of genres, including rock, folk, jazz, and classical.
- Jeff Fleck: An American actor who has appeared in films such as The Dark Knight Rises and Armageddon.
- Robb Fleck: An American sports radio and television personality who currently co-hosts the successful ESPN show First Take.
- Roberta Fleck: An American fashion model and television actress who is most noted for appearing in music videos and commercials in the 1980s.
- Bob Fleck: An American professional golfer who has competed on the Tour since 1980. He has also won multiple PGA Tour events.
- Alexander Fleck: An American lawyer and public service executive who has worked extensively in public service roles in numerous federal government legal offices.
- Laura Fleck: An American competitive figure skater who had a successful and award-winning career as an amateur skater before transitioning to a professional career.