Surname Voelcke - Meaning and Origin
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Voelcke: What does the surname Voelcke mean?
The last name Voelcke is of Germanic origin and is derived from the German term "Voelkel", meaning "family". It is one of many Germanic occupational surnames, which were usually given to people who had an association with a particular craft or trade. Voelcke, therefore, probably began life as a byname for a family of persons who had some type of connection to the spigot trade, such as a spigot maker or seller.
The name Voelcke is found mainly in northern Germany, specifically in the region of Lower Saxony. It has spread over time with many spellings, including Volkey, Villcken, Folk, Folle, Foll, Folker, Folker, Voelkel, Vollkom, Volkers, Fulk, Vollmer, Folkcke, and many others.
In some cases, the name has been anglicized to form Volk or Folker. The given name Folkert is also connected to the surname Voelcke. It originates from the Germanic term, for which "peerless" is said to be the original meaning.
Voelcke is a rare name today, and those who bear it can be proud of its long history and the people who have carried the name throughout the years. While the precise meaning of the name is unknown, it can still carry a certain recognition and pride for those who carry it.
Order DNA origin analysisVoelcke: Where does the name Voelcke come from?
The last name Voelcke is most commonly found in Germany today, where it is rather widespread due to its historic presence within the region. Originally from Germany’s Lower Saxony region, the name’s roots date back centuries, with popular theories of the name’s origin suggesting that it is derived from a personal name.
The surname Voelcke can still be found today in various parts of Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, where it is the 35th and 44th most popular surname respectively. Voelcke is also a popular name in the Netherlands, with the most occurrences being found in the country’s southernmost provinces, such as Limburg, Zeeland and Noord-Brabant.
More than 11,500 people in the United States today bear the Voelcke surname, their families having settled in the country over the past few centuries. The states with the highest concentration of Voelckes include Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon and Michigan. The name is also fairly well-represented in Canada and other countries with Germanic heritage, particularly in Australia, where it is the 206th most popular surname.
Variations of the surname Voelcke
The surname Voelcke is a German habitation name, derived from a place name with the prefix ‘Völk’, meaning ‘people’. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Folk, Folck, Fölck, Fölcker, Völk, Völck, Völcker, Völcken, Völcke, Voelck, Voelcke, Voelckel, and Voelk.
The spelling of the surname began to diversify in the mid-17th century. In comparison with other surnames originating from the South and West German dialects, Voelcke is quite rare. Today, it is limited mainly to the former East Prussian regions of Ostpreussen and Westpreussen, regions that are now divided between Poland and Russia.
Folk is the most common variant of this surname. This spelling is derived from Old English and Middle English, when a habitation name was created by adding ‘-ing’ or ‘-inga’ to the old word ‘folc’, meaning ‘people’.
The spelling Völk became popular at some point in the post-medieval period in parts of Germany, and is mainly carried by families living in South and West Germany. Völck and its variants refer to a habitation name to indicate a person dwelling in a place called Volkshausen.
Fölck or Fölcker was derived from West German dialects, and is still prevalent in westernmost Germany today. It is derived from a locational name or a habitation name coalescing from a Germanic personal name.
Voelk is encountered less often, but still present in some regions. It is derived from the Old Germanic personal name Vulf or Wolf. Voelckel and Voelk are more recent variants which arose in 18th and 19th century Germany.
Overall, the surname Voelcke and its variants are quite rare. But they are still seen in their original regions of eastern and western Germany, and in some other countries especially in North America, where this name is sometimes seen as an anglicized spelling as ‘Falk’, a variant of ‘Folk’.
Famous people with the name Voelcke
- Leonarda Voelcke: A German voice actress, she starred in the 2005 German television series Verbotene Liebe and has lent her voice to animé and video game characters, including those in the popular Harvest Moon series.
- Arnold Voelcke: A famous German chess master who competed in the 1950s and 1960s and was known for his writership of several chess books.
- Steve Voelcke: An American musician who has composed and recorded music for movies, video games, and television shows, including the soundtrack for the television series True Blood.
- Dr. Lutz Voelcke: A German physician and speaker on the power of positive thinking and meditation. He has authored several books on the power of the mind, such as Healing Power: A Rare Insight Into the Self‐Healing Body and the Mind.
- Kathryn Voelcke: A Russian‐born American actress and model who has appeared in a number of television and film roles, notably on The Young and the Restless and in The Purge: Anarchy.
- Peter Voelcke: A German historian, Professor Voelcke has served as a professor at Monash University in Australia, teaching courses on the history of World War II and the Nazi era.
- Walter Voelcke: A German physicist and professor at the Switzerland based University of Lausanne, he is renowned for his work in the fields of experimental and applied optics.
- Felisa Voelcke: An Argentinian‐born Spainsh film and television actress, she has received attention for her roles in a number of Spanish films and television series.