Surname Freerking - Meaning and Origin
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Freerking: What does the surname Freerking mean?
The last name Freerking is of German origin, originally spelled Frerking. Its meaning is believed to have evolved over time, with some sources stating it could have been derived from the Middle High German word "fredere" which translates to mean "shield". The shield reference could refer to a family of armorers or guards as the name appears to have originated in northern Germany, where several fortified castles are.
The earliest written record of the name dates back to 1414, when a man referred to as Hermann Freerking was mentioned in the archives of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The records revealed that this man owned land in the area, suggesting that the Freerking family was relatively wealthy.
The name Freerking became prominent in the 19th century, when several individuals with the name immigrated to the United States. The ancestors of these individuals could have been escaping religious persecution, or searching for better workforce opportunities.
Over the years, the name has undergone slight variations in spelling with some of the more common variation including Freerkin, Frerking, Freyerking, and Freerning, but regardless of the spelling, all of these variations represent the same strong Germanic roots.
Order DNA origin analysisFreerking: Where does the name Freerking come from?
The last name Freerking is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as among German and Dutch immigrants in the United States.
The etymology of the name Freerking is uncertain, but may be derived from the German word /freerken/, which means to move aimlessly. It could also have referred to a free man or monk; a free chancellor; or even a freerain, someone who had a large amount of land.
In the United States, the Freerking family name is most prominent in Wisconsin and Illinois, where it ranks among the top 500 surnames for both states. In these states, the name is largely a relic of German and Dutch immigrants who settled in the Midwest centuries ago.
In Germany and the Netherlands, the Freerking family name is most prominently found in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Gelderland. These states, located in the western part of the country, were historically part of the Dutch Republic and were heavily settled by Dutch people, including Freerkings.
Nevertheless, the name Freerking is still quite rare around the world: it ranks as the 81,427th most common family name on the planet.
Variations of the surname Freerking
Freerking is an unusual surname that is not widely distributed. The origin of the name is German and there are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Froirking is a variant spelling of Freerking, with the same origin. The spelling differs by the switch of the first two letters.
Firring and Feering are other variant spellings, which originate from Low German dialects. Firring originated in areas of North Germany, while Feering originated in areas of South Germany.
Freering, Freericks, Feerings and Fiering are all surnames of the same origin as Freerking. Freering and Freericks are English dialects of the German surname, while Feerings is a Dutch dialect variant. Fiering is a Low German variant.
In addition, the surname can be found in Holland as Frying and in Sweden as Freerke.
Finally, Fricking is a surname that has evolved from Freerking over time, as the spelling has been simplified and colloquially adopted.
Overall, Freerking is a rare surname but there is a wide range of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin to consider.
Famous people with the name Freerking
- Michelle Freerking, former All-American gymnast for Stanford University
- Kenneth Freerking, former National Football League player
- Clayton Freerking, professional basketball coach
- Barry Freerking, former NCAA tennis champion
- Gary Freerking, American Major League Baseball player
- Joost Freerking, Dutch football player
- Paul Freerking, European champion fencer
- Ute Freerking, German athlete and silver medalist in the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Ruby Freerking, author and artist
- Hugo Freerking, German opera singer and actor