Surname Sengstacke - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'S'
Sengstacke: What does the surname Sengstacke mean?
The surname Sengstacke is of German origin and quite an uncommon one. It is derived from the Middle High German words 'senc' and 'stac', meaning 'pond stone' or 'field stone' respectively. The literal meaning of the name is 'rock near a pond'. The name is likely taken from the name of a place located near a pond, or a landscape landmark that is composed of stones.
The name Sengstacke is usually associated with the German noble family de Sengstacke, who were first mentioned in the 13th century. The family lived in southern Germany until the 16th century, when they were scattered across Europe as refugees and exiles. Several members of the Sengstacke family moved to the Netherlands, France and East Prussia, and even immigrated to America around the 16th to the 18th centuries, although the name is still very rare in the United States.
The Sengstacke surname continues to be used in some European countries, particularly in Germany where a few noble Males continue to carry the name, and across the Baltic Sea. It can also be seen in records from the 16th and 18th centuries, such as church registers and tax rolls.
Overall, the name Sengstacke likely comes from a place near a pond or a landscape landmark with stones. It is an uncommon surname, primarily associated with the de Sengstacke noble family. It experienced some movement throughout Europe, particularly in the 16th to the 18th centuries, but it is still a fairly rare surname.
Order DNA origin analysisSengstacke: Where does the name Sengstacke come from?
The last name Sengstacke is most commonly found in the United States today, with the highest concentrations of the name in the states of Illinois and Georgia. The German surname Sengstacke is thought to have originated in the early 16th century in the region of Bavaria, and its likely that the family name was derived from an area of land known as the ‘Sen’ farms. The Sengstacke family quickly spread across Germany, moving into the bordering countries of France, Poland, and the Czech Republic over the centuries.
In the 19th century, some of the Sengstacke family members moved to the United States. Later, in the 1950s, other members of the family emigrated from Germany to America, settling mostly in the large cities of Chicago and Atlanta.
Today many of the Sengstacke family are still based around these two locations, although there are members of the family living in almost every state in the US. The Sengstacke family is also well-represented in countries around the world, particularly Australia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa.
The illustrious family has produced some very prominent members, including John Sengstacke, the publisher of the influential Chicago Defender newspaper, and Alfred Sengstacke, one of the most important civil rights activists in America during the 20th century.
Variations of the surname Sengstacke
Sengstacke is an uncommon German surname derived from the historical regions of Silesia in modern eastern Germany. It is most likely derived from "Sengstock," denoting a stake or rod, which in turn signifies a boundary marker. Variations of the surname include Senstock, Zengstock, Zenstock, Czenstecke, Zengstacke, and Szengstacke, with the alternative spelling being spelled with a "C," a "Z," an "S," or all three.
The earliest appearance of the surname in Germany is recorded in Prussian sources around 1673, and its prevalence seems to have been limited to the Silesia region. During the 19th century, many Sengstacke families immigrated to the United States, while others remained in Germany or migrated to other parts of the world.
In the United States, the surname is most commonly found in the Midwest, particularly Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio, where some of the earliest colonial settlers of German descent settled. The spelling of the surname has also changed somewhat in the U.S., with some American records recording it as Senstock, Sengstock, or Sengstacke.
Despite the rarity of the surname, there are a few notable bearers of the Sengstacke name. Among them is John H. Sengstacke, a prominent publisher of Chicago Defender, an African American newspaper founded in 1905. There is also the modern-day Sengstacke Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving education and social opportunities for African Americans in Chicago.
Famous people with the name Sengstacke
- Theodore Sengstacke (1884-1969); he was president of the National Negro Publishers Association and co-owner and editor of the Chicago Defender, a leading African-American newspaper with a national circulation.
- John Sengstacke (1912-1997); he was chairman and publisher of the Chicago Defender, taking on the role of editor in chief after his uncle's death.
- Alexander Sengstacke (1878-1947); he was editor and co-owner of the Chicago Defender and brother to Theodore Sengstacke and father to John Sengstacke.
- Alexander Sengstacke Abbott (1896-1961); he was a lawyer, editor, and publisher of The Michigan Chronicle, a periodical aimed at educating African American readers about civil rights and advancing the status of black people in the United States.
- Wendell Sengstacke (1930s-2018); he was president, editor and publisher of the Chicago Defender and great-nephew to Theodore Sengstacke.
- Emmanuel Sengstacken (dates unknown); he was a noted African-American photographer in the mid-1920s in the Mississippi Delta area.
- Carlotta Sengstacke (1900-1990); she was the editor of the Memphis Press-Scimitar and was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
- Robert Sengstacke Abbott (1870-1940); he founder of The Chicago Defender and great-uncle of Wendell Sengstacke.
- Ada Sengstacke McNeil (1906-2005); she was the founding editor-in-chief of The Birmingham World, an African American weekly newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Ella Sengstacke (1921-2009); she was a civil rights activist and former associate editor of the Chicago Defender.