Surname Tenbrink - Meaning and Origin

Tenbrink: What does the surname Tenbrink mean?

The last name Tenbrink is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German word, tenne, which means a clearing in the forest. It was likely used as an occupational surname given to people who lived and worked in the woods, such as woodsmen, hunters, charcoal makers and farmers.

The name Tenbrink is likely derived from a location, such as the Ténnebrink forest, which is located in Germany. It’s also possible that the name was derived from the small village of Tenbrinck or the Tenbrinck Farm, both located near the Ténnebrink forest.

The Tenbrink surname is also found in the Netherlands, suggesting it may be Dutch in origin, although it’s more common in Germany. If the origin is Dutch, the name may have derived from the word “ten”, meaning house, and “brink”, meaning edge or border. Thus, the original Tenbrink family may have lived on the edge of a piece of farmland.

The Tenbrink surname is not common and is thought to have remained largely unchanged since it first originated. Today, Tenbrink remains an uncommon name, usually associated with Germany and the Netherlands.

Tenbrink: Where does the name Tenbrink come from?

The last name Tenbrink is primarily found throughout the Netherlands and Germany. It is more common in Germany than it is in the Netherlands. In modern day, the surname is found all around the world, but still primarily located in Europe.

In Germany, Tenbrink ranks as the 6,084th most common surname. The majority of people with the name lives in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, near the Dutch border. It has also been found in nearby states such as Lower Saxony and Bavaria.

In the Netherlands, Tenbrink resides as the 5,068th most popular family name enjoying higher levels of popularity in the provinces of Limburg, Friesland, and North Holland. The Netherlands is the primary origin of the surname, although it can be found elsewhere in Europe.

In addition to Europe, Tenbrink can be found in North and South America, especially in the United States. The Tenbrink family migrated to the United States around 1840, and the surname is most commonly located in Ohio and New York.

Finally, Tenbrink has become more widely spread over the years due to emigration and natural dispersion. The name is often seen in Australia, Canada, and South Africa, and is continuing to travel further and further as people spread throughout the world.

Variations of the surname Tenbrink

The surname Tenbrink is of Dutch origin. It is an occupational name which refers to a person who carried out the job of a tinker, someone who travelled door-to-door repairing utensils. Alternate spellings and variants of the surname Tenbrink include Ten Brink, Tenbink, Tenbauk, Ten Braak, and Tenbruck.

In the Low Countries of Europe (eg. Belgium and Holland), the variants Tenbraak and Tenbrink were common in the 16th and 17th centuries. The former regarding someone who lived near a pond or brook, and the latter meaning a tinker or peddlar. Around the same period, the German variant became Tenbruck, which means ‘dweller near a bridge’.

In the United States, the variants Ten Brink, Tenbink, and Ten Braak are very popular and widely used. The latter two referring to a tinker or peddlar.

The surname Tenbrink is also found in other parts of the world as a result of Dutch immigration or colonialization, in particular South Africa. Dutch immigrants to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries adopted the various regional spellings of the surname, including Tenbink, Tenbraak and Tenbrink.

While all of these spellings of the surname Tenbrink, and their related variants, have the same origin, they have been adapted and modernized over the centuries, as people have moved from one place to another, or as a result of local dialects and naming conventions.

Famous people with the name Tenbrink

• Johannes Tenbrink: German history professor and philosopher
• Sabrina Tenbrink: German actress and model
• Eline Tenbrink: Dutch actress
• Karl Tenbrink: German painter and sculptor
• Andrew Tenbrink: American musician and producer
• Wilfred Tenbrink: Dutch physicist
• Louis Tenbrink: Dutch theologian
• Julian Tenbrink: Dutch entrepreneur
• Johannes Tenbrink: Dutch journalist
• Ewald Tenbrink: German sociologist

Other surnames

Tenbrinck