Surname Ilkenhans - Meaning and Origin
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Ilkenhans: What does the surname Ilkenhans mean?
The last name Ilkenhans is German in origin and is an occupational surname. It comes from the word “elch” which means “elk.” It originally indicated someone who raised, hunted, or sold elk. It is likely that the original bearers of the name would have lived and worked in areas where elk roam in the wild. The alternate form, Elkinhaus, is also found in German records.
Today, there are potential carriers of the Ilkenhans surname throughout Germany, as well as in some areas of Switzerland, Austria and other German-speaking countries, such as South Tyrol in Italy. At Ellis Island, there are also some examples of the name arriving from Germany to the United States in the 1800s.
The surname Ilkenhans is not common, being ranked as the 26,098th most popular surname in the world (as of 2020). It is not known for any famous bearers of the name, but it still reflects an interesting aspect of German occupational history. The name is an interesting way to trace someone’s unique connection to the past.
Order DNA origin analysisIlkenhans: Where does the name Ilkenhans come from?
The surname Ilkenhans is most commonly found in Germany, with records of the surname being first documented during the Middle Ages. It is also found in some parts of Central Europe near Germany, as well as other countries with strong German immigration such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
The name Ilkenhans may derive from the Middle German words “elken” or “elcken”, which mean “dear, beloved”. It may also have been derived from a personal name beginning with the prefix “Ilken”. Interestingly, early examples of the surname include both a male and female form, showing that it could have been used as either a first or last name at various points in time.
Today, the surname is still the most common in Germany, although it is also found in other parts of the world. In the United States, for example, there are around 2000 people who carry the name Ilkenhans. In Australia, Bosnian-born immigrants and refugees bearing the name Ilkenhans number in the hundreds, although it is likely that the surname has been in Australia since early migrants from Central Europe.
The name Ilkenhans is not uncommon, with records of the surname indicating that it has a lasting presence in several areas of the world. With many years of documented history, there is a good chance that the name will continue to be passed down through generations for years to come.
Variations of the surname Ilkenhans
The surname Ilkenhans is of German origin, with variants, spellings, and surnames derived from it. Ilkenhans is derived from the medieval given name Elkenat, which is a diminutive form of the name Elkin or Elkind. It is thought to derive from the old German personal name Elkon, which is possibly derived from the Proto-Germanic name Alkwin meaning “noble” or “reigning”. In modern German, alternate spellings of the surname include Ilkenhanz, Illkenhans, Ilkenhan, Ilkinhans, Illkinhanz, and Elkenhans.
Variant spellings of the surname that have existed and may still be found among German-speaking populations are Elkenhans, Ilkenhanns, Ilkenhaas, Ilkenhaus, Ilkinhans, Ilkinhaus, and Illkenhans. In some cases, these spellings have undergone lexical changes over time, leading to variants such as Elkee, Elkenighan, Elkenyan, and Elkenuyen.
In the United States, the surname Ilkenhans (and its variants) is often seen as an Americanized version of the German surname Elkenhan or Illkenhan. Related surnames include Elken, Elkens, Ilken, Ilkens, and Elkenhans.
Overall, Ilkenhans is derived from the old German given name Elkenat and is thought to stem from the Proto-Germanic name Alkwin meaning “noble” or “reigning”. Since then, numerous spellings, variants, and surnames have been created, including Elkee, Elkenighan, Elkenhan, Elkens, Elkenyan, Elkenuyen, Ilkinhans, Ilkens, Ilkenhaas, Ilkenhaus, Illkinhanz, and illkenhans. Today, these variants, spellings, and surnames can still be found among German-speaking or American populations.
Famous people with the name Ilkenhans
- Richard Karl Ilkenhans (1889–1918) was a German aviator decorated with the Iron Cross and fought in the Great War.
- Kurt Ilkenhans (1948-) is an architect from Augsburg, Germany with projects all over the world, most famously the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany and the Toyota Kaikan Museum in Nagoya, Japan.
- August Ilkenhans (1811–1889) was a German landscape painter and printer from Berlin.
- Jan-Hendrik Ilkenhans (1980-) is a Dutch professor from Amsterdam, currently teaching at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Rafael Ilkenhans (1972-) is a German contemporary artist who has been exhibiting worldwide in numerous exhibitions.
- Ernst Georg Ilkenhans (1881–1960) was a German painter from Strasbourg who worked in the impressionist style.
- Imke Ilkenhans (1980-) is a professional singer/songwriter from Weyhe, Germany.
- Otfried Ilkenhans (1942-) is a German architect who has designed numerous projects in Europe.
- Mallory Ilkenhans (1993-) is an American fencer who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
- Marie Louise Ilkenhans (1841–1926) was a German historian who authored several books including The German Revolution of 1848 and Women in the Revolution.