Surname Hermkens - Meaning and Origin

Hermkens: What does the surname Hermkens mean?

The last name Hermkens is a German surname that likely originated in the Middle Ages. Its meaning is unclear. It could have derived from the Old German name Herimann, which was a very popular personal name in the Middle Ages, or it could have been derived from a combination of the words “heri” meaning army and “mann” meaning man. This would hint at the possibility that the name is of military origin, which is further supported by the fact that the last name was found in areas of medieval Germany where the military was very active.

Alternately, the name could have originated from a combination of two German words - “hore”, meaning whore, and “man”, meaning man - suggesting that the bearer of the name was either a soldier or an administrator who ran a brothel.

Whichever the origin of the name, the Hermkens name has been found in Germany since the Middle Ages. It has also spread to some other countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United States. Today, it is found throughout the world among people of German descent, as well as among other non-Germanic people.

Hermkens: Where does the name Hermkens come from?

The name Hermkens is primarily found in The Netherlands today. It is most common in the provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. It is also found in the nearby German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.

The surname Hermkens is an occupational name, likely derived from the Dutch or North Low German words for "armourer". This would suggest that the name originated as a craft name for someone who made or repaired arms and armor. It is likely that the name would have been used by artisans of this profession in the area of The Netherlands during the Middle Ages.

Hermkens is a patronymic surname, which means that it was created by adding "son of" or "ben" to the father's given name. Today, it is one of the most common surnames in The Netherlands. According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics, there were over 7,000 people with the last name Hermkens in 2019.

The name is also found in countries around the world. For example, there were approximately 130 people with the name in the United States in 2020, mostly concentrated in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. There were also around 30 people in Canada in 2019.

In summary, the surname Hermkens is most common in The Netherlands, but it is also found in other countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. It is an occupational name likely derived from the Dutch or Low German words for armourer.

Variations of the surname Hermkens

Hermkens is a surname derived from the Old Dutch personal name Hermeric or Hermericus, a combination of the Germanic element "heri" which means army and the Latin element "mercus" which means merchant. The alternative spellings of Hermkens include Hermans, Hermansen, Hermkens, Hermen, Hermsen, Herriman, Herring, and Hermisson.

Surnames associated with Hermkens are mostly found in countries with large amounts of Germanic and Dutch influence. Examples include Holland, similarities in spelling and pronunciation make the names interchangeable with spellings such as Hermansen, Hermanse and Hermisson in the Netherlands, and their equivalent variations in other Dutch-speaking countries such as Belgium. Examples of German spellings include Herrmann, Hermann, Herrmann, Hermans, Hermsen, and Herring.

Outside of Europe, another common variation is Herriman, which is most prominent in the United States. The name is derived from an early American settler family of Dutch-German origin who first arrived in Maryland in the eighteenth century and spread throughout the country. Herriman is an Anglicized version of the Dutch name, and is also found in Canada, Argentina, Mexico, and various parts of Central and South America.

Given the wide range of geography and cultural backgrounds associated with the name Herrman, other spellings and interpretations of the name have emerged throughout the world. These include but are not limited to Herringman, Herriton, Herrty, Herriot, Herryman, and Herrmonas.

The origins of the Hermkens surname likely predate written records, and while the derivation and evolution of the name may be well documented, the true origin and meaning of the name are likely to remain a mystery.

Famous people with the name Hermkens

• Bella Hermkens: Dutch sport shooter and Paralympic champion
• Lizz Hermkens: Dutch international sports shooter
• Lucas Hermkens: Dutch comedian
• Paraskevi Hermkens: Dutch actress and fashion designer
• Theodor Hermkens: Dutch sculptor
• Teus Hermkens: Dutch darts player
• Rudolf Hermkens: Belgian footballer
• Yvonne Hermkens: Dutch sprint canoeist
• Guido Hermkens: German Olympic sabre fencer
• Guido Herman Hermkens: Dutch Eindhoven-based artist

Other surnames

Hermkes