Surname Folck - Meaning and Origin
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Folck: What does the surname Folck mean?
The surname Folck is of German origin, and likely hails from the Middle High German word "folch," or "folk," which means "people" or "nation." It is also possible it originated from the Old German "folc," meaning "village." It is likely that the family bearing this surname were village dwellers, or at least had their origins in a small village. The surname is found primarily in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany, and in the United States in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
Folck is a variation of the more prominent name Folker, and is sometimes spelled as Folke or Fulke. It is possible that coats of arms were granted to families bearing this name, although any records of this have yet to be located.
The modern surname is often connected to marginal farming and rural occupations, displaying the connection to a rural village.
Folck is usually a diagnosis of a rural family historian. It can chart the development and geography of a single family form the Middle Ages right through to the modern age. It can help give a more comprehensive look at a family tree, showing their location, hardships endured, and any notable members of the family.
The last name Folck, therefore, speaks of a proud family lineage that can likely trace its beginnings to a small, rural village, and has endured throughout the centuries, keeping its place in history.
Order DNA origin analysisFolck: Where does the name Folck come from?
The last name Folck is a very rare surname and is found mainly in Europe, particularly in Germany. It is of German origin and can be traced back to the medieval name code Follck, which was used as a derivative name for a large group of people, or “folc”.
Today, the surname is most commonly found in southern Germany, with almost 80% of people with the surname residing in the region. The Saxony-Anhalt area has a high concentration of people with the Folck surname, as well as neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.
Other countries that have Folck residents are the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay. In the United States, the name is especially present around New England, the Midwest and the states that were previously part of the Wild West.
In the United Kingdom, the surname is recorded in the 1881 census, but it is rare now and the name is not significantly represented in the modern population.
It is a largely Germanic surname, and while some people of mixed heritage may bear it, Folck as a name has largely stayed within the country's borders.
Variations of the surname Folck
The surname Folck (or Folcke) is an old Norse personal name derived from folk, meaning “people”. It is thought to have originated in what is now Sweden, and it appears that it spread widely throughout Europe when the Vikings invaded and settled in parts of England, Scotland, and Norway during the 8th-11th centuries.
Variants of the surname Folck include Folk, Folke, and Fulke or Fulka. Spellings derived from the Old English variation of the name are Folks, Folkes, and Folckes.
Surnames with similar origins include Vlck, Volk, Folc, Folke Janse, Fulk, Folker, Folkman, and Fulker.
In addition to the variations in spelling, the surname has been subject to alteration over the course of time. Folks and Folkes, for example, are believed to have been the result of phonetic spelling and the common usage of the letter "k" instead of a "c". Likewise, Folckes is believed to have come about from the use of the letter "s" instead of "c".
The name has also been Latinised in some cases, becoming Fulicus in France and Folkies in Germany.
Folk is also a Dutch topography name derived from the word “volck”, meaning “people” or “community”, and this can sometimes result in confusion when tracing FamilyTree.
In conclusion, the surname Folck is an ancient Scandinavian name with many spellings and variants, each with its own history and meaning.
Famous people with the name Folck
- David Folck: German ice hockey player who competed in the 1984 Winter Olympics
- Uwe Folck: German football goalkeeper
- Carl Folck: American Civil War cavalry officer
- Emma Folck: Hungarian-born actress who starred in films from the 1950s-90s
- Joy Folck: American heiress and philanthropist
- Tim Folck: Former Executive Vice President of Starbucks
- Mirko Folck: German football left winger
- Dave Folck: Multiple Emmy-winning American television animation director
- Erich Folck: Swiss philatelist and avid collector
- Gunnar Folck: Swedish chess master