Surname Neunkirch - Meaning and Origin

Neunkirch: What does the surname Neunkirch mean?

The last name Neunkirch originates from a small town in the Swiss canton of Basel-country. It literally translates to mean nine churches, which references the fact that the town of Neunkirch is home to nine churches. The oldest of these churches is St. Martin's Church, which dates back to the 12th century.

Neunkirch was first mentioned as a settlement in 1219, however by the mid-17th century, it had become a small farming and winemaking village. In the 20th century, Neunkirch underwent several transformations, becoming a resort town, with a focus on tourism and recreational activities.

The Coat of Arms for Neunkirch is a divided shield, with one half depicting five church spires, which represent the five local churches, that began the formation of the town. The other half of the shield features four pomegranates, which refer to the fact that Neunkirch was once known for its fruit wines.

The name Neunkirch is still seen outside of the town, by the people who are descendants of the original villagers of Neunkirch, many who have since spread their families across the globe. The Neunkirch name is now a link to the towns past, which marks the beginning of this distinguished surname.

Neunkirch: Where does the name Neunkirch come from?

The last name Neunkirch is most common in Germany, specifically in the Hessian mountain range region known as the “Odenwald”. It is also found in large numbers in the western parts of Austria, Switzerland, and parts of France and Italy. The name is quite rare in other countries around the world and thus is considered an unusual surname.

The first recorded person with the name Neunkirch appeared in Schwetzingen, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis in the year 1632. At the time, the area was part of the Electoral Palatinate Electorate and the name has been found throughout the region ever since.

The name is derived from Germanic origins with the root “neun” meaning ‘nine’ (as in, the nine regions of the Odenwald region), and ‘kirchen’ meaning ‘churches’. This makes the literal English translation of ‘Nine Churches’.

From that point, the name has spread throughout the region and even into some North American colonies, where it is most commonly seen as the name “Nankeirch.” In the modern world, the last name Neunkirch is still quite common throughout Germany, Austria, France, and Italy but it is still a rather rare last name found throughout the world today.

Variations of the surname Neunkirch

The surname Neunkirch is a German and French surname. Its variants, spellings and surnames of similar origin include, but are not limited to, Neunherz, Neunkirsch, Neun Schirch, Neunkirchen, Ninikers, Nienkerk, Neunkers, Neokeers, Neukeers, Neukeersch, Neuersch, Neurchersch, Neurekirsch, Neunkersch, Neuersch, Neurkersch, Neukerk, Neujersch, Neurkercksch, Neurenkerk, Neukerkers, and Neyenkirk.

The surname Neunkirch is derived from the Middle High German words 'niuwe' meaning ‘new’ and 'kirche' meaning ‘church’. Thus, the surname Neunkirch as a whole translates to ‘new church’ and likely originally referred to someone who lived near a newly built church.

In addition to its German and French roots, the Neunkirch surname also has Dutch, Danish, Czech, and Slavic origins. For example, in Dutch, the Neunkirch surname is spelled Neunkresch or Neukresch, the Czech version of the surname is spelled Nejnkirch and in Slavic, the surname is spelled Nein Kirch, Neen Kirch, or Neuen Kerch.

In the United States, the surname Neunkirch is quite rare, though it can be found in several states. In New Jersey specifically, there are at least five families with this surname, likely family members who emigrated from Germany or France. In the Netherlands, the Neunkresch name is more common and in Denmark, the surname can be found in abundance.

No matter the spelling or origin, the Neunkirch surname likely refers to someone who lived or was associated with a new church at one point in their history.

Famous people with the name Neunkirch

• Stéphane Neukirch: Sir Stéphane Neukirch is a French-born entrepreneur, business leader, and board member. He is the Chairman of the Board of TNT Express, and Non-Executive Director at Worldline and the European Investment Bank. He was previously Global Chairman of Royal Mail Group and Managing Director of TNT Express Europe.
• Julian Neukirch: Julian Neukirch is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for TSV 1860 Munich on a loan from Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Jürgen Neukirch: Jürgen Neukirch is a German mathematician specializing in set theory and algebraistic logic. He is known as one of the main authors of the important monograph “Theory of Sets”, written together with Thomas Jech and Horst Herrlich.
• Christoph Neukirch: Christoph Neukirch is a German saxophonist, primarily known as a funk-style saxophonist. He is a Selmer saxophonist and has released both solo albums and contributed to various projects.
• Karla Neukirchen: Karla Neukirchen is a former German cross-country skier who competed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a member of the East German national team, she won two medals with a silver in the 4 × 5 km relay at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and a bronze in the 4 × 10 km relay at the 1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo.

Other surnames

Neunkirchen