Surname Heinkel - Meaning and Origin
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Heinkel: What does the surname Heinkel mean?
The last name Heinkel is an occupational surname of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German term “heinkel”, which means “small roebuck or a young doe”. This animal is viewed as a symbol of swiftness and agility, and so the surname Heinkel came to represent someone who was fleet and agile. The name was given to someone who was an expert hunter, an experienced marksman, or a general outdoorsman.
The surname Heinkel is also associated with farming, engineering, and metalworking. This likely originated from the fact that “heinkel” could also refer to a tool or an implement used in these professions. The tool could be a metal pick or mattock, and so this surname has also been given to many people in the past who had some association with these trades.
The name Heinkel is most commonly found in Central and Southern Germany, and is a relatively common name in those regions. It is also found throughout Europe and even in the USA. Regardless of where it is found, the last name Heinkel has always been associated with resourcefulness, dexterity, and skill at a profession or trade.
Order DNA origin analysisHeinkel: Where does the name Heinkel come from?
The last name Heinkel is common in Germany today. According to the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, it is the 279th most common surname in Germany, and the most common surname in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is believed to have originated from the medieval personal name Heinkel, which is a diminutive form of Heinrich, meaning ‘ruler of the home’. The surname takes its roots in Germany, and is most prevalent in Germany today, despite German migration to other parts of the world. The surname carries different spellings, with the original German spelling being ‘Heinke’ or ‘Heinkel’, and more regional variations such as ‘Hienken’ and ‘Kenkel’.
Notably, there are a number of people, both geographically and time spread, with the Heinkel surname, most of which are of German descent. These include Ernst Heinkel, a German aircraft designer; Alfred Heinkel, a 20th century Austrian painter; Paul Heinkel, a German zoologist; August Heinkel, a German civil engineer; and Franz Xaver von Heinkel, an 18th century Bavarian theologian.
Although the Heinkel surname is most common in Germany, smaller populations of people with the name are known to exist in Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Generally, the prevalence of the surname is indicative of German populations in those areas.
Variations of the surname Heinkel
The German surname "Heinkel" is of early medieval origin. It was formed from a combination of the German given name "Hein" and the diminutive suffix -kel. There are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Heinkel.
Variants of Heinkel include Henkel, Hinken, Henkels, Henkle, Heynkel, Hänkel, and Hänke. Spelling variants of Heinkel include Heinke, Heinken, Hanken, Hanckel, and Hankel.
Surnames of similar origin include Heynemann, Heinemann, Henkelmann, Heinkenmann, Hegermann, Hänemann, Heickmann, Heggemann, Hebig, Henkels, and Hänger.
A few of the families that bear the surname Heinkel have also developed more distinct surnames of their own based on the original Heinkel surname. These names include Heineke, Heinekel, Hendeking, and Henken.
Additional surnames that can be considered similar to or related to the Heinkel surname are Henkenhaf, Hänkelvogt, Henkensiefken, Hennecken, Helldermann, and Halvrich.
Famous people with the name Heinkel
- Rudolf Heinkel: former aviation engineer and founder of Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, a pioneering German aircraft manufacturing company.
- Klaus Heinkel: German businessman who was director of Germany's biggest aircraft manufacturer, Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, from 1935 to 1945.
- Annie Heinkel: English concert pianist and former professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
- Bernhard Heinkel: German aircraft designer and research pioneer who designed the first jet engine powered plane for Heinkel.
- Johannes Heinkel: German aircraft designer who designed numerous innovative aircraft, such as the He-177 heavy bomber.
- Paula Heinkel: German aviatrix who was the first female to fly an airplane solo from Germany to Australia in 1934.
- Eugene Heinkel: German engineer who worked with his father, Rudolf Heinkel, in founding and expanding the aircraft manufacturing company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke.
- Erwin Heinkel: German engine designer and chief of the Aviation Research Institute of the Luftwaffe.
- Bert Heinkel: German fighter pilot and inventor.
- Markus Heinkel: German-American physicist and space scientist who collaborated on numerous projects for NASA.