Surname Nienkirchen - Meaning and Origin
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Nienkirchen: What does the surname Nienkirchen mean?
The last name Nienkirchen is of German origin and is derived from the a town called Nienkirchen, located in the rural Rheinland-Pfalz region of Germany. Nienkirchen can be translated to mean ‘nine churches’. This is derived from the nine church towers that can be seen in the town, indicating the presence of a large amount of religious activity in the area during the Middle Ages.
Back then, it was common for people to take names derived from the locations they lived in and that is likely what happened in the case of Nienkirchen. The practice of taking a surname from place of origin was particularly popular among areas of Germanic Europe. People simply combined the term for the place they came from with another word that indicated they lived there or spawned from there, often using the suffix ‘-er’ or ‘-en’. This is why the Nienkirchen surname denotes someone who likely came from the Nienkirchen region.
Today, Nienkirchen is still a small rural area and the surname is still relatively common in the surrounding areas of Southern Germany and the Rhineland-Palatinate region. Moreover, due to the influences of European immigration and colonization, heritage of those with the surname can be found scattered throughout the world.
Order DNA origin analysisNienkirchen: Where does the name Nienkirchen come from?
The last name Nienkirchen is a German name that is still common today. It is found mostly in Germany and to a lesser extent, Austria and other German speaking countries. Within Germany, the highest concentrations of people with the last name Nienkirchen are in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The name is also found in smaller pockets in other German states, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.
Outside of Germany, Nienkirchen is found in Austria, Luxembourg, and the United States. It is most common in the Midwestern United States, particularly in New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In each of these states, the last name can be found in large numbers, and is indicative of German immigrants who settled in these states in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nienkirchen is also a village in the Eifel region of northwest Germany, and some people with the last name may have originated from this area, although it is likely not the main source of the name in most cases.
Overall, the last name Nienkirchen is still a fairly common name within German-speaking countries, although it is also found in other parts of the world due to emigration. The highest concentrations are still in Germany, especially in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Variations of the surname Nienkirchen
The surname Nienkirchen is of German origin, derived from the place name ‘Nienkirchen’, meaning ‘new church’. It is found as both a given name and a surname. Variants of the surname include Nienken, Nienkamper, Ninken, Ninkamper, Nienker, Ninker, Ninkker, Ninkerker, Ninke, Nink, Ninkahr, Ninkehr, Nincker, and Neunkirchen.
Nienkirchen is believed to have originated in the region of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany. It was brought to the US by immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The surname is found in high numbers in North America, particularly the USA, but also in Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
The Nienkirchen family is believed to have been an early settler of colonial Virginia. Several descendants of early Nienkirchen settlers moved to the midwest, where the surname is uncommon. The First World War claimed the lives of several Nienkirchen men from Germany and the US.
Nienkirchen is an uncommon surname in the US; however, there are many holders of the surname in Western Europe and in North America. It is a particularly rare surname in English-speaking countries. There are some bearers of the surname who have adopted English spellings and surnames of similar sound, such as Nickelson or Nickels.
Famous people with the name Nienkirchen
- Leon Nienkirchen, Image Comics artist
- Josef Nienkirchen, German politician
- Anneliese Nienkirchen, German swimmer
- Hilarion Nienkirchen, Luxembourgish politician
- Fritz Nienkirchen, German mathematician
- Anna Maria Nienkirchen, German musician
- Adromischus Nienkirchen, South African botanist
- Sebastian Nienkirchen, Luxembourgish canoeist
- Ursula Nienkirchen, German owner of Moderne Kurzwaren shop
- Oskar Nienkirchen, German retailer whose sons founded a clothing company
- Lajos Nienkirchen, Hungarian pediatrician
- Erich Nienkirchen, German composer and publisher
- Johannes Nienkirchen, German theologian
- Thomas Nienkirchen, German football player
- Heinz Nienkirchen, German musician
- Oswald Nienkirchen, German fencer
- Alfred Nienkirchen, Belgian politician
- Ibolya Nienkirchen, Hungarian short film director
- Dieter Nienkirchen-Badcock, German automotive engineer
- Mathilde Nienkirchen, Austrian actress