Surname Meincken - Meaning and Origin

Meincken: What does the surname Meincken mean?

Meincken is a Jewish and German surname of uncertain origin. It is a variant of the surname Manken, which is derived from the German name Mann or Manke. The name likely derives from the German term Manco meaning "man," or the old Germanic element mann, meaning person. As a Jewish name, it is sometimes attributed to the biblical ancestor, Meshullam.

The name is found in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe, having left Germany during the 15th and 16th centuries. During this time, many Jews were expelled from Germany and relocated to the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States.

The earliest record of the name in the US is 1868, when Julius Meincken and his family arrived in Philadelphia. The family originated from Brilon, Germany. They quickly assimilated into the American culture and many joined the military during WWI and WWII.

Today, there are numerous variations on the spelling of the name around the world, including Mencken, Manken, Minkin, Meincke, and Minken. Despite the various forms, the origion and purpose of the name remain the same, symbolizing a strong individual with a plethora of skills and talents.

Meincken: Where does the name Meincken come from?

The last name Meincken is most commonly found in Germany today, and it is likely of German origin. Based on data from Germany alone, the last name Meincken is currently more commonly found in the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hamburg. This suggests a possible origin in those areas.

The last name Meincken is also found with above average frequency in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Bremen, as well as in the city of Berlin. It is also relatively common in neighboring countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Meincken is likely a variant of the last name Meincke, which is another German surname. This surname is derived from the Old German personal name Mainprecht, which is composed of two elements, namely, the German word main, meaning "great", and the Germanic/Old German word preht, which means "bold". This name, then, when combined, would have meant "bold and great".

Meincken can be found in North America as well, likely due to the immigration of German-speaking immigrants from Europe to the United States and Canada in the 19th century. This last name appears with above-average frequency in the US states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, and is also found with above-average frequency in Canada in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Overall, the last name Meincken is generally found throughout Germany, as well as in other German-speaking countries, and in North America due to German immigration in the 19th century.

Variations of the surname Meincken

Meincken is a German surname, derived from the Germanic personal name Mainfried, meaning "Mighty peace". The most common variants of this surname are Meinken, Meyningen, Maincken, Mienken, Mainkin, Mankin, Mynken, Mienking, Mainken, Mienkingen, Mieningin, Minkin, Mienink, Mincken, Minkin, Munkin, and Mencken.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Meincken is from 1353 in Brandenberg. By the 16th century, the surname was becoming quite popular across Germany. It is recorded mainly in the Warburg, Bodenwerder, Emmerthal, Einbeck, and Bielefeld regions of the country.

In recent times, the popularity of the surname Meincken has remained strong in Germany, with several famous people bearing this name. These include novelist Jutta Meincken, novelist and historian Theodor Meincken, and malacologist Heinrich Meincken.

In North America, the Meincken surname is found in various spellings such as Mancken and Manckin. The earliest record of the Meincken surname in the United States is from an invidual named Heinrich Meincken, who emigrated from Germany to Virginia in 1717. Many of these individuals eventually moved to other parts of the United States, with the majority of Meincken descendants today being found in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Famous people with the name Meincken

• Adolf Meincken: Professionally known as Adolf Meincken von Alwangen, this German lawyer and politician was a Minister of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg from 1867 to 1887. He served in the government continuously for the 20-year period.
• Friedrich Meincken: Also a German lawyer and politician, Friedrich studied law at the University of Göttingen and also at Leipzig. He was a Minister of the Grand Duchy of Brunswick from 1859 to 1866, and from 1865 to 1873 was President of the Landtag.
• Hermann Meincken: This German businessman is known as the founder and managing director of the Luxembourg-based finance company BIL. He was also the director of the Hermservic Industriewarenhandelsbank GmbH from 1968 to 1996, and the holder of numerous patents in Germany, France, and Great Britain.
• Gerd Meincken: A professional footballer, Gerd played for several clubs in West Germany during the late 1950s and 1960s such as Essen, Kaiserslautern, and Düsseldorf. He has made several appearances for the national team and was also a member of the Olympic squad in 1960.
• Karl-Heinz Meincken: Another German professional footballer, Karl-Heinz played for several teams such as Eintracht Braunschweig and Werder Bremen. He was also the captain of the German U-19 squad from 1976 to 1977.

Other surnames

MeinckMeincke