Surname Arntken - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'A'
Arntken: What does the surname Arntken mean?
The last name Arntken is of German origin and is derived from an ancient Swanic pagan personal name, Arnketil, meaning “eagle”. It is likely that the original bearer of the name was bestowed his surname due to his eagle-like strength and capability. In some cases, the Arntken surname may be a “patronymic” surname based on the first name of an ancestor of the bearer.
The surname Arntken began to be adopted centuries ago in many parts of Continental Europe, most notably Germany. As people began to migrate to other parts of the world, particularly the United States of America, Arntken came to be used in various parts of the world.
Today, the last name Arntken is most commonly found in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. It is especially prevalent in African-American communities due to the surname’s migration to the United States with German immigrants during the 19th century.
In the United States, the name Arntken appears to be most popular in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, and California. To this day, the surname Arntken is used proudly as a symbol of the strength of the family’s ancestors, signifying their capability and will to survive.
Order DNA origin analysisArntken: Where does the name Arntken come from?
The last name Arntken is most common today in Northern Germany. The earliest records of the family date back to the late 16th century, in the Mecklenburg region.
Throughout the years, there has been an increasing spread of the Arntken last name to locations in Northern Germany such as Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Brandenburg.
In more recent years, the surname Arntken has also become more common among those of Scandinavian ancestry due to increased immigration to Germany from Scandinavian countries.
The Arntken family is closely tied to the rural regions of Northern Germany, and their last name is often associated with the farming lifestyle.
This is reflected in the family's patriarchs who were typically farmers, with family members following their lead and taking up similar occupations.
Despite an increased number of Arntkens living outside of Germany, the majority of people who carry this last name live in Germany. In fact, a 2017 family survey showed that over 95% of those with the surname Arntken lived in Germany.
Today, the Arntken surname is most commonly found in Germany's northernmost states, but can also be found in smaller numbers across the world.
Variations of the surname Arntken
Arntken is a surname of Germanic origin, derived from the personal name Arnold, which is composed of the words for 'eagle' and 'power.' The Arntken surname is found in records dating back to the 16th century in the German area of Neustadt an der Aisch.
Common variants of the Arntken surname include Arndtken, Ahrendken, Arndtwen, Arndkon, Arnaken, and Arnthken. Alternative spellings of Arntken include Arnthken, Arnaken, Arnkon, Arentken, Arentkon, Arenaken, Arenkon, and Arrentken.
Surnames related to Arntken include Arnold, Arnhold, Arenz, Arent, Arnstadt, and Erntzen. These surnames are linked to Arntken because they all have the same base name of Arnold. European records also show that many of these variants were used interchangeably with each other over the centuries.
In some cases, Arntken can also be a variant of another German name, Arnolt. Surnames related to Arnolt include Arnolds, Arnoldt, Arnholdt, Beerntgen, and Erntzen.
Arntken is a fairly common German surname, and there are many spelling variants and related surnames to explore. Both the variants and related surnames can provide further insight into the family history.
Famous people with the name Arntken
- Peter Arntzen: Norwegian soccer player
- Espen Arntzen: Norwegian cross-country skier
- Ida Arntzen: Norwegian actress
- Erling Arntzen: Norwegian actor
- Siv Arntzen: Norwegian film director
- Kristen Arntzen: American art director, set decorator, and production designer
- Bjørn Arntzen: Norwegian ballet dancer and choreographer
- Erik Arntzen: Norwegian jazz musician
- Tine Arntzen: Norwegian singer-songwriter
- Nils Arntzen: Norwegian linguist