Surname Bellinghausen - Meaning and Origin
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Bellinghausen: What does the surname Bellinghausen mean?
The last name Bellinghausen is of German origin. It is composed of two elements, "bell" and "hausen", and translates to "house with a well". This distinctive surname is thought to have referred to someone who lived near a well, or who might even have had some responsibility for the maintenance of wells in a certain area.
The German language contains a wealth of occupational surnames that typically began with the word describing that occupation. Bellinghausen, then, was likely an occupational name, perhaps referring to someone who oversaw the wells in a particular village.
Because the Bellinghausen name is fairly unique and uncommon, it's hard to trace its exact origins. However, most records from the Middle Ages were kept by clergy, so it's possible that Bellinghausens were part of the Catholic Church in earlier centuries.
Bellinghausen is an uncommon last name, so it's likely that those who carry it come from a small, closely knit group of people. Whether it was a name of origin or an occupational surname, it likely bonded those who share it – members of a family or village – together. Regardless, it’s a memorable surname that someone bearing it can have pride in.
Order DNA origin analysisBellinghausen: Where does the name Bellinghausen come from?
Bellinghausen is a German surname, with roots stemming from the old Dutch or German words for ‘a bell and a house.’ It began to be used as a prefix or suffix to various place names in Germany around the 17th century.
The name Bellinghausen is most prominent in Germany today, as many of those with the name have decided to stay put in their country of origin. It is also a popular name in the United States, with many first and second-generation immigrants from Germany bringing the name with them when they came to the States. Bellinghausen is spread throughout Europe, with other large pockets of the surname present in countries such as the United Kingdom, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Within the United States, the highest concentration of people with this surname can be found in California, Texas, and Illinois. One of the most notable figures with the surname is the German explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who led the first expedition to Antarctica in 1820 and is remembered for naming several islands and archipelagos in the Southern Ocean.
In recent years, genealogical websites and DNA-based ancestry databases have allowed those with the surname Bellinghausen to trace their familial roots back to their origin countries. As of 2021, Bellinghausen is still a common continental German surname, continued to be passed down through generations, and still representing a rich reminder of times past.
Variations of the surname Bellinghausen
Bellinghausen is a German surname that is more than likely derived from the old German word bellin which is an round iron plate used in weapons. It could be short for Bellinhausen, or the more common variants Bellinghause or Bellinghausen. In many cases, the name can be written with a double "l" instead of single "l", making it spelling variations like Belllinghausen.
Within the United States, variations on the surname include Belinghausen, Bellinghousen, and Belenghausen. In the Netherlands, the name sometimes appears as Belinghaus. Other variants of the name include Bailinghausen, Baalenhause and Belleinhausen.
The name has also been anglicised in a few instances to become Bailey or Baily. It is also possible to find the name spelled with both "l" and "n", for example Bellenhausen.
The surname is also associated with a few distinct branches, including the Bälinghausen, Bellinhausen and Bellinghausen branches that are located in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. Some families have adopted the surnames Bellinghaus, Bellinghausen-Stecken and Bellinghausen-Schiemann.
Additionally, variations of the Bellinghausen surname exist in other languages. For instance, in Dutch, the name is spelled as Belinghaus, in Polish it’s spelled as Bellinhaus i and in Italian, it's spelled as Bellinghosi.
Famous people with the name Bellinghausen
- Fabian Gottlieb von Bellinghausen (1778–1852): Russian naval officer and explorer. He made one of the first recorded sightings of Antarctica and was the first to circumnavigate the continent in 1820-1821.
- Carl Ludwig Burckhardt Bellinghausen (1769–1836): German botanist and zoologist. He also wrote a number of works on natural history and was a pioneer in the study of insect evolution.
- Marliese Bellinghausen (1940–): German film producer and director. She is best known for her work as an executive producer on the Oscar-nominated drama The Lives of Others.
- Lena Bellinghausen (1987–): German model and actress. She has made a name for herself appearing in fashion campaigns and music videos.
- Eike Bellinghausen (1972–): German actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Amour Fou and Winter Sleep.
- Peter Bellinghausen (1927–2015): German silver smith. He was renowned for his innovative and intricate designs for jewelry and flatware.
- David Bellinghausen (1941–2016): German writer and journalist. He wrote extensively about culture and the arts, and was a noted expert on modern German literature.
- GB Bellinghausen (1894–1942): German World War II pilot. He served with the Luftwaffe and was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery in combat.