Surname Vinken - Meaning and Origin

Vinken: What does the surname Vinken mean?

The surname Vinken is a Dutch toponymic or locational surname derived from 'vink', which is a dialect term for a pond or small pool of water. The surname has probably arisen from people who lived near such a pond or pool of water or the settlers of some small village that took its name from the natural pond in the area. As a result of this, early occurrences of the surname are recorded from several regions in the Netherlands, such as Overijssel, Gelderland and North Brabant.

The surname Vinken is also found in other western European countries, like Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Today, the surname appears in various spellings such as Vincke, Vyncke, Vincks, Vyncken, Van Vinks and even Vynx. There are also regions in the US where the surname appears to have arrived with Dutch settlers.

The surname Vinken is not particularly rare, although it is not overly common, either. Depending on the spelling, there appear to be around 6,000 - 8,000 living Vinkens in the Netherlands alone. That said, given its humble beginnings and the various spellings it has taken on over the years, it is quite likely that people with this surname are spread across the world.

Vinken: Where does the name Vinken come from?

The surname Vinken is most commonly found today in the Netherlands, Belgium, and a few German speaking regions in Europe. The Netherlands has the highest concentration of people with the Vinken surname, predominately in the northern provinces, including Friesland and Groningen.

In Belgium, the Vinken surname is most commonly found in the Flanders region of the country.

The surname is also found in small numbers in Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. There are a few instances of Vinken's in the United States, but they are most likely the direct descendants of Dutch immigrants who came to the United States in the late 19th century.

The origin of the Vinken surname is unknown. It is likely derived from the pre-medieval personal name Vink, which likely derives from the Old Germanic name Winch, meaning “founder” or “founder of settlements”.

The surname first appears in Dutch records during the 15th century, in records from the town of Breda, in modern day Netherlands.

Today the Vinken surname is not especially common outside of Northwest Europe, although there are instances of people with the Vinken surname living in far-flung places such as Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Variations of the surname Vinken

The surname Vinken is an ancient Dutch-German surname with several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Common variants include Van der Vink, Vincen, Vincke, Vince, Vinkes, Vinkel, Vinckel, Vinckelen, Vincks, Vincksen, Vinske, Vinsken, Venken and Van Vinckelen. Some variants were once spelled differently than they are today, such as the variant Vinckelen which was spelled "Vinklen" in the 19th century.

The origin of the surname Vinken likely comes from the ancient Dutch word "Vink", meaning the finch bird. Over time, the surname may have been derived from the term “vinken”, which was a dialect term used to refer to a finch, or from the Dutch surname “Van Vinken”, meaning someone who lived near a lake where finches were plentiful.

The surname Vinken is also seen in other parts of Europe. In Switzerland, the surname Vince is derived from the name Vincen, which is a variation of Vinken. In Poland, Vincen (or Vinsee) is also derived from Vinken, and is a variant of Vince. In Spain and Portugal, Vincic is derived from the name Vince.

Additionally, there are several surnames of similar origin which have derived from Vinken. These include Van de Vink, Venderink, Venderinck, Vanderink, Vanderinck, and Venderinc.

In conclusion, the surname Vinken has a wide variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, and can be found in various parts of Europe. It is likely derived from the Dutch word "Vink" or the surname "Van Vinken", and has led to several other surnames.

Famous people with the name Vinken

• René Vinken, a Dutch rower and member of the 2016 bronze medal-winning team at the Olympic Games
• Reiner Vinken, a German footballer and manager who won several honours with the FC Twente team
• Piet Vinken, a Dutch physicist who was notable for his contributions to mathematics and physics
• Menno Vinken, a Dutch sculptor and miller
• Geert Vinken, a Belgian actor known for his roles in Verborgen Verleden and Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden
• Lenne Vinken, a Dutch writer and author of several children's books
• Hans Vinken, a German automotive engineer and designer who worked for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz
• Eline Vinken, a Dutch artist notable for her landscape works in the Netherlands
• Joris Vinken, a Belgian chemist and academic notable for his contributions to analytical chemistry
• Jacqueline Vinken, a Dutch journalist and critic, known for writing about literature, theatre, and film

Other surnames

Vinke