Surname Engelker - Meaning and Origin
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Engelker: What does the surname Engelker mean?
The last name Engelker is of German origin and can be found in records as far back as the 1600s. It is a topographic name, meaning someone who lived near an angelica shrub (a type of herb). The meaning of the name could also refer to a person residing on a corner lot, as the name derives from the German words “engel” and “Ecke,” meaning angel and corner, respectively.
This last name can be found in records scattered throughout Germany, extending to Austria and Switzerland, as well as across Europe and, more recently, the United States. Given its German origin, several variants of Engelker exist, including Angler, Engler, Anaikar, Angklar, and Enker.
The popularity of the surname Engelker has waxed and waned over time, with its most common occurrence in northwestern Germany, particularly the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Niedersachsen. There is evidence to suggest that people named Engelker emigrated from Germany to the United States in the middle of the 19th century, settling in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.
Due to its extensive history, the exact meaning of the surname Engelker is lost to time, but what remains is the knowledge that these individuals lived near an angelica plant or on a corner lot.
Order DNA origin analysisEngelker: Where does the name Engelker come from?
The last name Engelker is a relatively uncommon surname today which is primarily found in the Netherlands. It is most concentrated in the Gelderland and Overijssel provinces, as well as in cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Leiden, and Utrecht. The name Engelker is thought to have originated from the Old Dutch words engel, meaning “angel” and ker, meaning “handcraftsman”, indicating that it likely referred to one of the first Germanic immigrants to the region who were renowned for their skilled craftsmanship.
Other countries in which the name Engelker can be found include the United States, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and various parts of Europe such as Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Denmark. Though the name Engelker is not especially common in any of these countries, there are still a few established communities out there with the same last name.
The history of the Engelker family is not well-documented, but it appears to have been adopted by many of the early settlers in the Netherlands and spread throughout Europe as people migrated. As such, the name has likely been changed in various forms and adapted to different languages over time. Even today, you will find some Engelkers who have adopted alternative spellings such as Angliker, Engleker, Engelkerr, Engelkirk, etc.
Variations of the surname Engelker
Engelker is an old German surname that originated in the Middle Ages. It can be spelled Engelker or Engelkher, and there are several other variants and spellings of this surname, including Engler, Englert, Engels, Englar, Engleman, Englehart, Engelsman, Engeler, Engelhard, Angerhausen, and Einseler.
The original name Engelker might have derived from the German words engel, meaning angel, and -ker, a suffix denoting a person of or related to, so the name Engelker could mean roughly "angel person." It might also be related to platonic, meaning "lottery", and so it might signify someone chosen in a lottery.
Engelker is found mainly in the German-speaking areas of Europe and in the Netherlands. In these countries, the surname can be pronounced differently depending on the dialect, with some areas in the south pronouncing it like "ang-gel-ker." Engelker is also found in some other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Czech Republic, and in the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Engelker is an example of a patronymic surname, derived from a derived from a father's given name. It appears to have originated from an ancestral Engel, anglicized to Engler or Englert. This same name is also commonly found in the Low Countries, countries in the southern part of Central Europe.
Engelker is a common surname, demonstrating that there were many individuals with this name in different places at different times over the centuries. It likely started off as a single name and then evolved and fragmented into many different spellings and variants over the centuries.
Famous people with the name Engelker
- Daniel O. Engelker: Private First Class in the United States Army during World War II and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
- Augustus Engelker: United States Representative from Illinois.
- Trevor Engelker: Canadian actor known for his roles in Murdoch Mysteries and Orphan Black.
- Dennis Engelker: Canadian professional baseball player in the MLB from 1974 to 1986.
- John Engleker: American football player for the New York Giants in 1933.
- Harley Engelker: United States Army NCO and recipient of the Silver Star.
- John C. Engelker: Wisconsin state assemblyman in 1857 and 1858.
- Ed Engelker: cartoonist and illustrator best known for his comic strip Out Our Way.
- Flora Engelker: German dancer and choreographer.
- Jacob Engelker: Dutch Golden Age painter of the 16th century.