Surname Hammeke - Meaning and Origin
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Hammeke: What does the surname Hammeke mean?
The last name Hammeke is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word “hameke”, which meant “little home”. It is thought to have originally been used as a nickname or sobriquet for a person who was particularly attached to his home. Over time, the name may have been shortened to “Hammeke”, Merging the two words together.
The German surname Hammeke is most commonly found today in Northwestern Germany, mainly in the areas of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. A less common occurrence is for the name to be used in other German-speaking countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, as well as in the United States.
The name Hammeke may also be the origin of the much more common English surname “Hamrick”, which is thought to be a variation of the German “Hammeke”.
Hammeke is today used both as a given name and a surname. Persons of the last name often take pride in their German heritage and may refer to themselves as “Hammekes” or “Hammekeans”. As a given name, it is usually today used by parents who want to give their child an original, unique name that helps them stand out from the crowd.
Order DNA origin analysisHammeke: Where does the name Hammeke come from?
The last name Hammeke is most commonly found in Germany today, with over 670 individuals bearing the name. It is rarely found outside of Europe; within the United States, it is almost exclusively found in states with a direct German influence such as Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The name likely originated as a toponymic name, derived from a place-name, perhaps a stream, lake, or forest. Place-name derived surnames were common among early German settlers.
The majority of German immigrants to the United States in the 19th century ultimately originated from the German state of Prussia. Hammeke is also common in the city of Hamburg, located in northern Germany. The name may be a variant of the common German name ‘Hammerick’.
Many of these Prussian immigrants settled in Wisconsin, and for this reason it may represent the largest concentration of American Hammeke families today. Today, the name is still mostly associated with Germans, as well as other European countries such as Poland and Denmark.
It likely will remain a fairly rare name, though, and most likely will continue to be found mostly around the areas where German immigrants originally settled in the United States.
Variations of the surname Hammeke
The surname Hammeke has several different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include:
Hamke, Hamme, Hammeck, Hammen, Hammecken, Hammeke, Hammenken, Hammie, Hammieck, Hammken, Hammkenken, Hammnecke, Hämmeke, Hemke, Hemmen, Hemmeke, Hemmken, Hemmieke, Hamaka, Hamami, Hamamka, and Hemmke.
The most common spelling of this surname is Hammeke, which is an occupational name from the German language. The original development of the name was connected to a person who worked with iron (hamme) as a blacksmith, as it comes from a combination of two words for iron and blacksmith.
These variations within the language were then adopted as surnames when population registries first became a thing. From then on, the spelling variations have remained and been passed down through the generations, creating the various different spellings and surnames we see today.
The surname Hammeke is also found in many other languages, such as Dutch, Dutch Low Saxon, Danish, Franco-Provençal, French, Galician, German, and Polish. These variants have developed in a similar way as there are various regional and dialectal pronunciations, as well as the additions of various letters for different spellings found within the language.
All of the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin of the surname Hammeke bear testimony to its changing nature and development over time. It is a valuable insight into the history of the family and the many changes that have taken place since it was first formed.
Famous people with the name Hammeke
- Ray Hammeke: professional basketball player.
- Jacob Hammeke: former NFL quarterback.
- Pat Hammeke: former football and baseball coach.
- Brad Hammeke: professional soccer player.
- Charlie Hammeke: former college football and basketball coach.
- Bill Hammeke: former college basketball coach.
- Ryan Hammeke: former NFL offensive lineman.
- Sue Hammeke: professional golf player.
- Terry Hammeke: former NFL defensive end.
- Jeff Hammeke: professional cross country and track and field athlete.
- Zac Hammeke: former NHL winger.
- Ben Hammeke: former college basketball coach.
- Lori Hammeke: former college basketball player.
- Heinz Hammeke: former MLB pitcher.
- John Hammeke: former world-class water-skier.