Surname Beinike - Meaning and Origin

Beinike: What does the surname Beinike mean?

The last name Beinike is likely of German origin from the Bavarian region. It is derived from the name Bernhard, which itself is derived from the Old German words beraht, meaning “bear,” and hard, meaning “brave.” Historically, Bernhard name bearers were renowned for their strength and courage, so the name may have been given to a line of brave, strong families.

The first records of the Beinike surname are found in early German records dating back to the 16th century. The name has evolved over the years, and there are now many variations in spelling such as Beinike, Beinik, Beinke, Beinike, Beinzke, Bienike, and many more. It is likely that each of these varying spelling of the name originated from a unique linguistic tradition.

The Beinike surname is not common in modern times. It is estimated that there are between 4,000 and 5,000 individuals with the last name. These people can be found primarily in contact or direct descendent of original Beinike families spread out across the globe. Many current Beinikes can likely trace their family history back to the early German settlers of the 16th century.

Beinike: Where does the name Beinike come from?

The last name Beinike is most commonly found today within the countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Historically, the name is of Germanic origin, originating from the area of Bavaria, which is in southern Germany. It is likely that the name is derived from ‘Bein’ meaning ‘bone’ and ‘Ecke’ meaning ‘corner,’ likely from a village that was surrounded by sharp corners of rock or simply a village on a rocky corner of land.

The Beinike surname can be found throughout many parts of Europe, with some instances even cropping up in regions as far afield as Poland, Latvia and Romania. In the United States, the last name is found most predominantly in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, California and New York.

Beinike is a very common German surname, with over 4600 entries being listed by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, which is the German War Graves Commission. This suggests that the last name is still relatively common in the regions which it first emerged in.

Today, the Beinike name is generally associated with a sense of German heritage and proud familial history. It has endured as a family name since medieval times, and despite the shifting of borders and geopolitical complexities, has carried on to the present day.

Variations of the surname Beinike

The variants and spellings of the surname Beinike are Beineke, Beinike, Bendike, Benderke, Bendikke, Benike, Benneke, Bennekke, Beunike, Beutenke, Bienke, Bienken, Binikke, Byenike, Boeenike, Boeintke, Böinke, Böingen, Böinten, Bayneke, Bouenekke, Boyneke, Boijenke, Böinnken, Boomke, Boeijenike and Böhneke.

It is a German, East-European and Dutch surname which is derived from the word 'Bein' meaning 'bone', 'leg' or 'pillar', and 'ke', which translates to a possessive form of a word.

Beinike is most likely a patronymic or metronymic surname adopted by a person from a particular locality where the ancestor used to live. Originating from the Lower Rhine district of Germany, this surname also spread to Netherlands and some parts of the U.S.

Since the surname Beinike is derived from 'Bein' (leg, bone, pillar), it is likely that this group of names might have a connection with the manufacturer of wooden crafts such as furniture and ships. This could have been part of the family trade in the past.

The surnames of Dutch origin are likely to have the same spelling as the German ones, but they might have some phonetic alterations, such as Böinger, Bayneke and Bouenekke, to name just a few.

In some cases, Beinike might have been changed to Benike, due to different dialects and language changes in Europe. The surnames Benneke and Bennekke also derived from the same name, since they are both derived from Beinikke with a phonetic alteration.

No matter their origin or spelling, all of these surnames have the same origin. They come from the Germanic words for bones, legs and pillars.

Famous people with the name Beinike

• Henrik Beinike: A Danish football goalkeeper who currently plays for FC Midtjylland.
• Ole Beinike: A Norwegian professional ice hockey player.
• Lars Beinike: A former professional football player from Denmark.
• Johann Beinike: A German footballer who played for FC St. Pauli.
• Hans-Jörg Beinike: A German football defender who played for Hamburg SV.
• Claudia Beinike: A German actress who appeared in the television series Das Labar.
• Bodil Beinike: A Danish singer and performer.
• Uwe Beinike: A German footballer, currently playing for FC Kaiserslautern.
• Dominik Beinike: A German footballer, currently playing for SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
• Evald Beinike: A Danish soccer player who won the 1998 Division 1 championship with Aalborg Boldspilklub.

Other surnames

BeinickeBeining