Surname Drinkuth - Meaning and Origin
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Drinkuth: What does the surname Drinkuth mean?
The last name Drinkuth is a German name of patronymic origin, deriving from the given name Drinke or Dreinke. The name Drinkuth is derived from a diminutive of the Germanic name Dringo, which is composed of the elements "drin" meaning "people" and "go", meaning "men". As a result, the name could mean both “little people” or “little man”.
The Drinkuth surname can be found in several records from the early 17th century. It was also well established in eastern Germany, often being found in lower Prussian villages such as Mötzke, and Leppin.
Today, the Drinkuth family is most common in Germany, particularly in Saxony, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt. The trend seems to indicate that the name Drinkuth is becoming more popular, as it is now found as a surname in the United States.
The name Drinkuth appears to be an uncommon form of the more typical surname Drenkuth. It is likely that the Drinkuth name originated from a German patronymic name, one that was based on the given name of a father or ancestor. The Drinkuth name may even refer to a particular line of descent, as it is associated with a given name. It is an interesting and distinguished moniker that many have been fortunate enough to find in their family trees.
Order DNA origin analysisDrinkuth: Where does the name Drinkuth come from?
The last name Drinkuth is believed to be a German name, with records of the name emerging from the 12th century in regions of southwestern Germany. The name may be derived from the Middle High German words "Drinken", meaning to swallow or handle or embrace, and "duk", meaning leader or ruler.
Today, the last name Drinkuth is mostly found in Germany and various areas of the German diaspora. According to the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, Drinkuth is one of the 20,000 most common last names in Germany and the 20th most frequent name in Bavaria. Other parts of Europe where Drinkuth is found include Austria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. The surname can also be found in North American countries that are home to German-speaking populations such as the United States and Canada.
According to the US Census Bureau, the United States currently has the largest population of Drinkuths outside of Germany - in 2020, the bureau estimated that there were 630 people with the surname Drinkuth living in the US.
Despite this, the last name Drinkuth is still relatively uncommon and can be difficult to find in genealogical records. Many Drinkuths who have immigrated to North America may have adopted more Anglicised versions of their name such as Drunken, Deckut or even Durkett.
Variations of the surname Drinkuth
The surname Drinkuth is a variant or spelling of the Anglo-Saxon name Drincuth, a compound surname of two Old English words. The first part, "drynca" refers to a drinker or topper while the second part, "cuth" literally means famous or renowned. The name Drinkuth is generally considered to be of Anglo-Saxon origin.
Variants and spellings of the surname Drinkuth include Drincuth, Dringuth, Drincketh, Drincke, Drinkwitz, Dringwerk, Druckwert, Dronckwert, Druckert, and Drinckhof.
Surnames of similar origin include Dringmon, Drinke, Driger, Drinchen, Drincker, Drucker, Drikker, and Druckerhof.
Drinke and Drinchen are derived from the Middle High German 'drencen', meaning 'to drink', while the Germanic 'Drinc' and 'Drink' are related to the Late Latin 'bibere', meaning 'to drink'.
The surname Drucker is derived from Middle High German 'druckere', which means 'one who is in charge of supervising the printing of books and documents'. The Germanic 'Drinke' is related to the Old English 'drencan' meaning 'to moisten'.
The name Drinkwitz is derived from the Germanic 'drinken' meaning 'to drink', and 'wits', which is derived from the Middle Low German 'wetse', referring to a wealthy or powerful person.
The surname Dringwerk is derived from the Middle High German 'dringen', meaning 'to press' and 'werk', which is derived from the Old High German 'werk' meaning 'work'.
The surname Dronckwert is derived from the Middle High German 'droncke' meaning 'to drink' and 'wert' referring to an authority figure.
The surnames Druckwert, Druckert, and Drinckhof are all derived from Middle High German and refer to related meanings of 'pressure', 'dried', and 'drinking court' respectively.
Famous people with the name Drinkuth
- Friedrich Drinkuth: German politician and former mayor of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony
- Johannes Drinkuth: German classical philologist
- Edward Drinkuth: American former child actor and television personality
- James Drinkuth: American military officer and former officer in the United States Air Force
- Jürgen Drinkuth: German former track and field athlete and Olympic medalist
- Kay Drinkuth: German former singer and actress
- Fritz Drinkuth: German classical composer
- Hugo Drinkuth: German Olympic sihtfurling gold medalist
- John Drinkuth: American former National Football League player
- Leslie Drinkuth: Canadian former competitive swimmer and medalist at the 1968 Summer Olympics