Surname Meininger - Meaning and Origin
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Meininger: What does the surname Meininger mean?
The last name Meininger is of German or Jewish origin. Its meaning is said to be derived from the German words "Meiner," meaning "my own," and "ing," meaning "son of." This would make the literal meaning of Meininger "son of my own."
The name Meininger can also be associated with the German region of Meiningen, a small town located in the state of Thuringia. This origin is closely linked to the regular surname Nering or Narren, both of which signify "resident of Meiningen." The family of Meiningers who reside in Meiningen are said to be related to the family of princes who ruled here in the 9th century.
It has also been suggested that Meininger could be a variation of the surname Menninger or Maninger. This is a similarly Germanic name, with the literal meaning of "son of Manna."
Other suggested origins for the Meininger name are Jewish and Dutch. In Jewish lineages, the Meininger name could be associated with the Hebrew form of "Myenin," meaning "resolute," or "istenin," meaning "he will understand." As a Dutch name, Meininger could also come from the Dutch word "gemeente," meaning "community." In this case, the meaning of the name would essentially be "one from the community."
In all cases, the Meininger last name is an interesting one with a unique history behind its origin.
Order DNA origin analysisMeininger: Where does the name Meininger come from?
The last name Meininger is most commonly found in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is also common in other European countries where German-speaking people have immigrated, such as France, the Netherlands, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Meininger is derived from the Old German “meinung” meaning opinion or opinion leader. It is also derived from the name Meineke, which is linked to the word “meiner” meaning “my” or “mine”. This suggests that the name originally referred to a wise or prominent person, whose opinion was valued and his advice followed.
Meininger is common as a surname today because of its proliferation during the medieval period. During this time, surnames were established in order to distinguish between people of the same given name. So surnames like Meininger had a higher chance of persisting over the years compared to common given names of the era.
Meininger is also common as a surname because of the extended relatives of those with the name. Causes such as emigration and inter-marriage meant that the name was widely dispersed and could be carried by many different families all over Europe.
Today, the name Meininger is still most common in German-speaking countries. However, due to global immigration, it is not uncommon to find people with the last name Meininger living in countries as far as the United States, Australia, and South Africa.
Variations of the surname Meininger
The surname Meininger has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant is spelled "Meiniger." It is also sometimes spelled as "Meiniger," "Meinigar," "Meinigar," "Meinigar," or "Meyninger."
The most common origin of the surname is German, and the literal English translation of the surname is "one from Meiningen." Meiningen is a community located in the south-western part of the German state of Thuringia, near the Thuringian Forest.
The surname is also found in Austria and Switzerland, where it is spelled "Meininger," and in the German-speaking regions of Italy and Hungary, where it is spelled "Meiniger."
In the United States, the surname is found in many forms, including "Meinigar," "Meininger," and "Meyninger," reflecting the many variations of the original German spelling.
Other variations of the surname include "Meynger," "Meyninger," "Mininger," and "Mininger." Some of these may be derived from the German term "Rheininger," which refers to someone from the Rhineland region of Germany.
In some cases, the surname has been anglicized to "Mayer," "Meyer," and "Mair." The variants Meiniger, Meinigar, Meininger, Meyninger, Mayer, Meyer, and Mair are all considered to be of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Meininger
- C.B. Meininger: Scientist, investor, professor, CEO, and entrepreneur
- Albert Meininger: French artist and sculptor
- Mark Meininger: Professional golfer
- Louise Meininger: American singer
- Ludwig Meininger: Professor of philosophy and psychology
- Peter Meininger: Austrian actor and director
- Stephen Meininger: American football player
- Heike Meininger: German photographer and fashion influencer
- Paul Meininger: Austrian cyclist
- Chris Meininger: American business executive and entrepreneur