Surname Jinckes - Meaning and Origin

Jinckes: What does the surname Jinckes mean?

The last name Jinckes is of Dutch origin, derived from the Germanic personal name Ginckel, which is ultimately derived from the name Ginke, meaning "bold arrow". This name was given to someone who was seen as a warrior, due to the connotations of a bold arrow. Between the 16th and 17th century, the name changed to the Dutch form of Jinckel, which has been variously spelled as Ginckes, Ginx, Janck, Jenckes, and Jinckes.

The surname Jinckes is commonly associated with the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland. However, it is also found amongst families in Hoorn, North Holland and the province of Friesland, Netherlands.

Jinckes families in America date back to the mid-1600s, with the earliest recorded Jinckes immigrants coming in 1653, settling in New Amsterdam (present day New York). These early Jinckes immigrants were mainly of the Protestant faith.

The surname Jinckes is quite rare, and despite the number of settlers dating back to the 1600s, there are still only relatively few Jinckes families in America.

Therefore, those who have the surname are part of a long and proud lineage that can trace its roots back to the earliest settlers of Holland. This is reflected in the name's meanings of strength, courage, and a bold spirit among those who have it as their family name.

Jinckes: Where does the name Jinckes come from?

The last name Jinckes is most commonly seen today in the Netherlands. It is a Dutch name that likely has its origins in the village of Jinkser in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is an uncommonly found surname, with only 384 people having the name in the Netherlands in 2019.

The surname has its most concentrations in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, particularly Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe. Outside of the Netherlands, Jinckes can also be found in the other Low Countries, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as in Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

A notable recent bearer of the name is Dutch cyclist Jan Jaap Jinckes, who has competed in the UCI World Tour.

The pronunciation of the name varies slightly across geographical areas, but it is generally pronounced as "Yin-kes".

Variations of the surname Jinckes

The surname Jinckes is derived from the Germanic personal name 'Jinke' or 'Janke'. Variations and different spellings of this surname are 'Janke', 'Jencke', 'Jenneke', 'Jenkes', 'Jenney', 'Jenkin', 'Jenkins', 'Jenkyns', 'Jenckin', 'Jenckins', 'Jinkins', 'Jinks' and 'Jinckes'. This surname can also be found throughout Netherlands, northern Germany, Denmark, and France.

In England, different spellings and variants of Jinckes are mainly found in counties of Devon and Dorset. Amongst Dutch speaking people, the surname is spelled as 'Jenneke' and 'Jencke'. Some Dutch Jewish immigrants adopted different spellings of the same surname.

In the United States, where the spelling of the surname was anglicized, different variants and spellings can be found. 'Jinkins', 'Jenkyn', 'Jenkins' and 'Jenckins' are the most commonly found variants of the surname. It can also be found as variants of 'Grey', 'Gryn', 'Green' or 'Gris'.

In France, however, the surname changed to Jenckle, Jencklin, Jenckli and other variants, depending on the particular region or dialect. French immigrants adopted the same surname but with spelling variations.

In each of these countries, it is also possible to find the surname mapped as a given name, such as Jinks, Jencke, Genie, Janek, Jincke, Janekin, Janckin, Jenkin, Genie, Jinky, Jenckie and Jencks.

Despite all these variations, they all stem from the same origin, and their meaning remain the same. The surname is derived from 'Jinke' or 'Janke', meaning gracious or God has given.

Famous people with the name Jinckes

• Otto F. Jinckes (1863–1938), Brazilian doctor and botanist
• Sammy Johannes Frederik Jacobus Jinckes (1866–1935), South African entrepreneur and investor
• René Jinckes (born 1979), Brazilian journalist
• Stan Jinckes (born 1980), South African rugby player
• Anna Jinckes (1893–1987), American silent film actress
• Stefano William Jinckes (born 1983), Dutch artist
• Doug Jinckes (born 1986), Canadian soccer player
• Sarah Jinckes (born 1988), Dutch swimmer
• Marleen Klaasjen Jinckes (born 1995), Dutch footballer

Other surnames

Jincks