Surname Behnke - Meaning and Origin

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Z. Behnke

Behnke: What does the surname Behnke mean?

The German surname Behnke is derived from the word “Bein” which mean “bone” or “leg” in Old High German. This surname originally was allotted to individuals from the medieval warrior class, such as a soldier, mercenary, or hunter. The surname Behnke is believed to have originated in 12th century Germany and is considered a patronymic or hereditary surname for someone with an ancestor who was a hunter, a soldier, or a mercenary.

The surname Behnke is among the most widespread surnames of Germany with numerous branches and sub-branches throughout the country. Over the centuries, it would spread to other countries in Europe and around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The surname finds many variations in spelling, such as Bahnke, Bohnke, Banke, Bainke, Baynke, Baunke, Beenke, Benke, Biinko, Binke, Bamnke, Bonke, and more. In addition to its original roots, the surname is also related to various other German surnames such as Behn, Beck, Bein, Bohen, Bohne, and Bohnen.

The surname Behnke still exists today and is considered a noble name. In modern times, it is carried by many individuals across the world and is often still used to denote a person from a warrior class or associated with hunting and military service.

Behnke: Where does the name Behnke come from?

The last name Behnke is a Germanic name meaning “baker” or “baker’s son” and is most common in Germany today. According to the German census in 2020, the surname is the 5,601st most common in the country, with just over 6,000 people who listed it as their last name.

The surname is also found throughout Northern Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where it is sometimes spelled van Behnke.

In the United States, the Behnke surname is less common. According to the 2020 US Census, only 432 people listed their last name as Behnke. The largest concentrations of the name are in Wisconsin and Michigan, with other places of high concentration in Pennsylvania, New York, California, and West Virginia.

Interestingly, the name can be found in multiple branches of the same family tree. In the year 2015, a genealogy website compiled the family tree of an immigrant family from Germany who settled in the United States. The tree had over 8,000 names related to the Behnke surname. It is clear that there have been multiple generations of the family living throughout Europe and the United States.

Overall, the surname Behnke is most common in Germany. However, it can also be found in countries throughout Northern Europe and in the United States.

Variations of the surname Behnke

The surname Behnke has a few variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Since the surname is derived from the German language, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin are in German. Some of the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include: Behncke, Behnke, Behneke, Bencke, Benzke, Benzke, Benneke, Bennekoh, Behn, Benne, Benke, Bencken, Bennek, Benneken, Bennke, Pennekoh, Bentke, Bennken, and Bennken.

The spelling of surnames is prone to change, especially when it is passed down from generation to generation and changes hands. Hence, some of the spellings of the surname could have changed due to differences in dialects and the evolution of the German language.

The surname Behnke is originally derived from the word bannic or benic, which mean "cottage." The surname, hence, probably indicates that the family originates from an area where cottages were located. In addition to this, the surname is likely to have originated from a place where the predominant language was German.

Some of the variants and surnames of the same origin as Behnke could indicate various origins, including regions from which the family moved or regions where the family resided for quite some time. Some of the variants could suggest the family had a significant presence in the particular area where the variant was popular, such as the Bennekoh variant which was primarily found in Saxony, Germany.

Overall, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin as Behnke provide a wealth of information regarding the past and trace the family’s origins through time.

Famous people with the name Behnke

• Alexander Behnke: German actor, director, author, and theatre manager.
• Justin Behnke: American football coach.
• Dan Behnke: American entrepreneur and venture capitalist
• Jörn Behnke: German modern pentathlete
• Ann-Helen Behnke: Norwegian filmmaker
• Philip Behnke: British actor
• Claas Behnke: German underwater photographer
• Catharinus Behnke: Norwegian judge.
• Jo Behnke: British author and playwright
• Edward Behnke: American artist

Other surnames

BehnkBehnkenBehnkens