Surname Hinrichsmeyer - Meaning and Origin
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Hinrichsmeyer: What does the surname Hinrichsmeyer mean?
The last name Hinrichsmeyer is a German-origin surname, derived from two elements: “Hinrich” meaning “Henry” and “meyer” meaning “mayor.” In the Middle Ages, a mayor was usually a trusted elder in a community, often a landed man who bore responsibilities for things such as justice, records, and taxes. As a result, Hinrichsmeyer is generally regarded as a status name, suggesting that the original bearer of this name was the mayor or occupant of a high-ranking position in his community.
The name is fairly common throughout Germany, and records indicate that the surname has been in use since at least the mid-1800s. It is also found in other parts of Europe, along with the variants Hilariusmeyer, Hinrichsmeyer, Hinrichsmayer and Henrichsmeyer. Common locations for this last name include the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony, as well as parts of the Netherlands and Denmark.
Today, members of the Hinrichsmeyer family can be found all around the world, and the name is becoming increasingly popular. Although the surname is no longer closely tied to its original meaning, it remains as a distinctive reminder of the importance of mayors in the history of Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisHinrichsmeyer: Where does the name Hinrichsmeyer come from?
The name Hinrichsmeyer is a German surname derived from a combination of two components, the given name “Hinrich” and the suffix “-smeyer,” which denotes someone who lives in a large homestead. Thus, the name literally means “Hinrich of the big house.”
Today, the surname Hinrichsmeyer is most predominant in the German states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where it ranks among the top 200 last names. It is common in other parts of Germany too, including Bremen, Thüringen, and Baden-Württemberg. It has been suggested that some Hinrichsmeyers also emigrated to the United States in the 20th century, though the last name has yet to gain a significant foothold in the United States.
Hinrichsmeyers are mostly scattered throughout Germany, but they are also present in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, and Australia. A few Hinrichsmeyers are reported to have settled in Argentina and Mexico as well.
Overall, it appears that the surname Hinrichsmeyer is widely distributed throughout the German-speaking world. Since it is a relatively uncommon name, there is a good chance that if two people with the same last name meet, they are at least distantly related.
Variations of the surname Hinrichsmeyer
Hinrichsmeyer (or Hinrichs-Meyer) is a German surname deriving from two words: 'Hinrich' meaning 'ruler of the household' and 'Meyer', meaning 'farmer or master'. The variants and spellings of this surname include: Hinrichs, Hinrichsen, Hinrichsen-Meyer, Hinrichsmeyer, Hinrichs-Meyer, Hinrichs-Myer, and Myer.
Hinrichs is a variation of the more common spelling 'Heinrich', meaning 'ruler of the household', and this spelling is more commonly found in Northern Germany.
Hinrichsen is another variation of the surname Hinrichsmeyer, with the 'sen' used to identify a patronymic surname, i.e. the son/descendant of somebody with the original surname.
Hinrichsen-Meyer is a combination of the patronymic version of the name, combined with the original spelling of the final part of the surname.
Hinrichs-Meyer is another combination of the name, which is most commonly found in the US, and incorporates both variants of the original spelling.
Hinrichs-Myer is a variant of the 'Hinrichs-Meyer' spelling which is also found in the US.
Myer is a highly common variant of the surname as it is simply the given name Meyer, with the 'M' dropped.
Overall, the surname Hinrichsmeyer has several variations depending on the country of origin and the language of the family. Most, if not all, of the variants stem from either Heinrich or Meyer, as these were the two words the original surname was derived from.
Famous people with the name Hinrichsmeyer
- Hans Hinrichsmeyer: German electrical engineer and inventor 2.Joaquin Hinrichsmeyer: Argentine actor 3.Ariane Hinrichsmeyer: French model and actress
- Cruz Haas Hinrichsmeyer: Paraguayan lawyer, politician and journalist 5.Dirk Hinrichsmeyer: German painter and multimedia artist
- Mark Hinrichsmeyer: German-American fencer
- Matthias Hinrichsmeyer: German Protestant theologian
- Mary Hinrichsmeyer: American painter and printmaker
- Paul Hinrichsmeyer: German bobsledder
- Robert Hinrichsmeyer: German cartoonist