Surname Bendhaack - Meaning and Origin
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Bendhaack: What does the surname Bendhaack mean?
The last name Bendhaack is of German origin. It is a topographic name derived from the Middle High German term "bende", which means bend or meander and "hah", which is an old word meaning small bend or corner of a field. The name likely refers to someone who originally lived in or near such an area. It could also be a habitational name from any of numerous places called Bendorf.
The Bendhaack surname is thought to have first been used in the region of Schleswig-Holstein, part of the larger region of Lower Saxony. Records of the name have been found in this region since the mid-16th century. It is a relatively rare name and is not found in other German speaking areas. It can sometimes be found spelled as Bendhäk, Bendhake, Bendhark, and Behndäck, which all appear to be relatively recent minor variations.
The Bendhaack surname likely refers to a person from a topographic region or habitation, showing that the family had deep roots in a particular area. Today, the surname remains relatively rare and can be found mostly in Germany and its surrounding countries and states.
Order DNA origin analysisBendhaack: Where does the name Bendhaack come from?
The last name Bendhaack is most commonly found in Germany. According to a 2020 CBS report, 3,808 people in Germany bear the name Bendhaack, with the majority (98%) of them living in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This makes it one of the top 50 surnames in the country.
The Bendhaack family is believed to have originated from Jülich, Germany. It is speculated that the name may be derived from the Dutch word 'Bendhack', which was the name of an old German knight who lived in Jülich in the 13th century. Many other cities in the state, including Aachen, Cologne, and Duisburg, have significant populations of people with the last name Bendhaack.
Beyond Germany, a 2020 New York Times report identified 12 people with the name Bendhaack living in the United States. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that as of 2010, 11 people with the last name Bendhaack called Canada home.
The name Bendhaack is also popular in Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden, with anywhere from a handful to over a hundred people living in each of these countries bearing the name.
In total, the last name Bendhaack can be found in several countries across the world. The majority of the people with the surname live in Germany, however, with the majority of them residing in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Variations of the surname Bendhaack
Bendaack, Bendaak, Bendehack, Bendehak, Bendhack, Bendhak, Benhaack, Benhaak, Benhack, Benhake, and Bendak are all variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Bendhaack. The Germanic origin of Bendhaack involves a few Germanic elements that are combined to create a unique surname. "Bend" comes from the Middle German and Old High German personal name “Bendo”, which means “Brave” or “Fighter,” while “-hac” is a Middle High German diminutive suffix.
The Bendhaack surname’s original form was recorded in documents such as church registers and birth records as early as 1636 for Joannes Bendhaack in Muhlhausen, Thuringia, Germany. Today, the surname Bendhaack is found in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and North America.
According to the US Census 2000 data, Bendhaack is ranked as the 21,235th most common surname in the United States with an estimated 950 bearers. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Bendhaack are slightly more common than the original spelling in the US, ranking 10,301 for Bendaack, 6,742 for Bendaak, 19,992 for Bendehack, 9,126 for Bendehak, 6,220 for Bendhack, 3,529 for Bendhak, 10,034 for Benhaack, 7,191 for Benhaak, 4,244 for Benhack, and 2,293 for Benhake.
Famous people with the name Bendhaack
- Ernhart Bendhaack: German politician affiliated with the Free Democratic Party.
- Johann Theodor Bendhaack: German art historian, museum curator, and writer, who is best known for his written works on Dutch and Flemish art.
- Arne Bendhaack: Danish politician who served as the mayor of Hvidovre Municipality from 1994 to 2005.
- Bent Bendhaack: Danish track and field athlete who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.
- Jan Benthaack: Danish architect specialising in modernist design who was responsible for the design of Copenhagen Airport's Terminal 2.
- Ulf Bendhaack: Danish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper and earned three caps for the Danish national team in 1981.
- Per Benthaack: Danish tennis player who competed in the 1934 French Championships.
- Eva Bendhaack: Danish architect who designed numerous private homes, extensions, apartment buildings, and other structures in and around Copenhagen.
- Willy Bendhaack: German mathematician and physicist who worked as an academic at the University of Hamburg.
- Carsten Bendhaack: German actor who is well-known for appearing in the German version of the movie The Hunger Games.