Surname Nienaber - Meaning and Origin
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Nienaber: What does the surname Nienaber mean?
The last name Nienaber is a German name which can be translated to mean “near the border”. It is an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word “niene”, which meant “neighbor”, and the Middle High German word “bere”, which meant “barrier”. This was a common surname given to people who lived near a political or geographical border, such as a mountain, river, or land mass.
The surname was popular in the early days of Germany as a country. It was common for residents to take the surname of the areas they lived near in order to be identified by visitors or other German citizens. The last name Nienaber originated in western Germany, specifically near the Rhineland region.
Historically, the residents of the area often faced hostilities due to their proximity to geographical borders. Therefore those who took the name Nienaber were seen as strong and resilient people. Today, those with the surname still feel a sense of pride being heirs of resilient and badass ancestors.
The Nienaber’s eventually spread across Europe and even to the United States. To this day, many refugees and immigrants entering the U.S. bear the last name Nienaber. Although it is not a popular surname, those who do have it are known to be proud of their family history and to carry the courage and perseverance of those original Nienaber’s from centuries prior.
Order DNA origin analysisNienaber: Where does the name Nienaber come from?
The last name Nienaber is most commonly found in South Africa and parts of the former German Democratic Republic. It is also present in the United States, where it is relatively uncommon but not rare. One of the earliest family roots of Nienaber in the US dates back to 1715 when a man by the name of Wilcomb Nienaber immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Today, many with the surname Nienaber in the US are descended from early German immigrants who first settled in the Pennsylvania and Maryland areas in the mid-1700s. Some Nienabers also trace their ancestral roots to North Carolina and Tennessee. The presence of the name, however, is not limited to the US. Nienabers also exists in parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Germany, as well as countries of the former East Germany.
Perhaps one of the most popular places to find the Nienaber surname is South Africa. The Nienabers of South Africa arrived in the Cape in the late 1700s taking part in the great trek and proceeded to establish roots that still remain firmly established today.
Whilst none of the abovementioned places is the leading nation in terms of population, the surname Nienaber is still relatively common in some of these countries and in some, you may still find people with the same last name even several hundred years after the original immigrants arrived.
Variations of the surname Nienaber
Nienaber (or Niemann or Nimann) is a German surname of Dutch origin, typically found in southwestern Germany, the Netherlands, and North America. In Germany the name is thought to have originally been connected to the Niemann family, who settled in the region during the 16th century. In the Netherlands, the surname is thought to have derived from the Middle Dutch for "new man", or "new comer".
Variants of the surname Nienaber include Niemann, Nimann, Nienman, Neumann, Nienmeijer, Nienhuis, and Neeman. Other more obscure variants include Neenan, Neenen, Nieman, Niemeyer, Neenen, Nimmen, Nienmann, Nineman, Nimmey, Nimmy, Niny, Ninan, and Nunan.
In North America, the surname may also be spelled as Nieman, Nieman, Niman, Nimman, Neeman, Nieman, and Neiman.
The surname Nienaber may have become confused with many other surnames derived from similar words, such as Nienstedt, Nimitz, Neumann, Nimens, Nauman, Nieman, Ninnemann, and Ninnemeyer.
In general, spelling and pronunciation of the surname can vary greatly depending on the dialect and language of origin. It is not uncommon to find people with variants of the same surname spellings, even within the same family.
Famous people with the name Nienaber
- Steven Nienaber: South African professional golfer
- Ewert Nienaber: a South African athlete who was a track and field national champion
- Johann Nienaber: ex-head of the South African National Defence Force
- Anton Nienaber: South African rugby union coach
- Andrew Nienaber: American football coach
- John Nienaber: American professional basketball player
- Jody Nienaber: American novelist
- Pieter Nienaber: South African actor
- Jakob Nienaber: South African actor
- Willem Nienaber: South African sculptor