Surname Völkerding - Meaning and Origin
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Völkerding: What does the surname Völkerding mean?
The surname Völkerding is a German name with its roots stemming from the Middle Ages. Völkerding can be broken down into two parts, ‘Völk’ and ‘erd’ (or ‘erding’). When combined, the name means ‘the dwellers of the folk’. This could signify that the family were a group of people that originated from a particular area or region.
In Germany, many surnames take their origin from a place name. This is also very likely to be the case for the surname Völkerding. It may have come from a town or a hamlet, with the ‘erding’ part signifying a small community dwelling on the outskirts of a larger town or village. Alternatively, the word ‘erding’ may refer to a situation in which many people lived together in a small space, so it could also signify a large family.
In more recent times, the surname Völkerding has spread across Germany and even further afield. The name is most likely to be found in Germany, Austria and some parts of the United States, where citizens from Germany have emigrated and taken the name with them.
In the end, the past of the surname Völkerding is shrouded in mystery and is likely to remain so. What is certain is that it derives from the Middle Ages and held a special significance to the family it belonged to at the time.
Order DNA origin analysisVölkerding: Where does the name Völkerding come from?
The last name Völkerding is primarily a German surname originating from one of the many villages of this name located throughout Germany. The earliest recorded village with this name was located in North-Rhine Westphalia in the late 1100s. Since then, the name spread throughout Germany, primarily in the western areas of the country such as North-Rhine Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Baden-Württemberg. For this reason, today the surname Völkerding is most commonly found in these areas.
While the surname Völkerding is primarily located within Germany, it has been known to spread to some other countries as well. It is known that some of the earliest immigrants to the United States had the Völkerding surname, typically arriving in the 19th century from their homeland. As such, the Völkerding surname can also be found today in the United States, particularly on the East Coast and Midwest regions. Similarly, the surname has spread to other parts of the world through migration, although it is not as common as it is in its native Germany.
Taken as whole, the last name Völkerding is primarily a German surname and can still be found today throughout much of Germany, particularly in the western states. The name has, however, spread to other parts of the world, such as the United States, as a result of migration of German immigrants, and can still be found in some parts of the world today.
Variations of the surname Völkerding
The surname Völkerding is of German origin and it is also known by some other variants and spellings, such as Volkerding, Voelkerding, Völkerdink, Völkerdun, Völkerdong, Volksdink, and Volksding.
It is thought that the surname could be derived from the Middle High German words "völk" which means "people", and "ding", which means "court". Therefore, it could be interpreted to mean 'court of the people'. It was likely popularised as a surname by people whose ancestors had worked as judges in local courts in medieval Germany.
Variations of the surname are often seen in different parts of Germany and other German-speaking countries today, such as Austria and Switzerland. It is also common amongst Germanic emigrants to other parts of the world, such as the United States, and other countries such as Canada, Brazil, and Australia.
It is believed that all variants of the surname are in fact connected, and that it is all descended from the same ancestral context. However, there is a slight difference in spelling when surnames are translated and passed on in other countries, which is why some of the variants appear slightly differently in different regions.
Famous people with the name Völkerding
- Professor Dr. Hans-Jochen Völkerding: German professor of computer science at the Freie Universität Berlin, specialising in computer systems for network and database processing.
- Karl Völkerding: German amateur photographer, operating an analogue camera from the 1960s, mainly using infrared film for his black & white photography.
- Lucas Völkerding: German professional football player, currently playing for SV Meppen in the 3rd division.
- Tobias Völkerding: German theatre director, known for staging innovative productions of contemporary plays as well as classic works.
- Gustaf Völkerding: Swedish entrepreneur and inventor, best known for developing the Völkerding buttonhole machine in 1880.
- Gisela Völkerding: German artist and sculptor best known for her bronze sculptures based on mythical or allegorical themes.
- Dieter Völkerding: German architect, winner of the national 'Deutscher Architekturpreis' award in 1999 for his work on public buildings.
- Johannes Völkerding: German author and Nobel Prize Laureate, specializing in historical fiction and biographical works.
- Annalena Völkerding: German fashion designer, creating beautiful one-of-a-kind evening dresses and accessories made from vintage fabrics.
- Mathilda Völkerding: German operatic soprano, well known for her performances of traditional German lieder as well as works from the classical repertoire.