Surname Waehnke - Meaning and Origin
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Waehnke: What does the surname Waehnke mean?
The last name Waehnke is German in origin and likely derived from the German word 'wahn', which translates to means 'delusion' or 'fantasy'. It may also derive from the word '.wahnen', which means 'believe' or 'imagine'.
The surname is often found amongst families in the north of Germany and is considered a relatively rare name. It is sometimes spelled in alternative forms, such as Wahnke, Waehke or Wahneke.
The name has a variety of noble associations. For example, the noble von Waehnke family is one of the most famous families with this surname in Germany. This family produced several gentlemen of honour who lived in the region of Mecklenburg in the 16th century.
The name is also linked to the Austrian artist Carl Waehnke (1836–1907), who was a popular watercolourist in the 19th century. He was known for his landscapes and as a teacher to numerous painters.
This surname is not much used in the United States of America, however, and so those bearing the surname Waehnke are likely of recent German descent.
Order DNA origin analysisWaehnke: Where does the name Waehnke come from?
The last name Waehnke is a German surname, primarily associated with areas of Germany. It is still most prevalent today in German-speaking countries and Central Europe, particularly in the regions of Germaony, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
The surname has its origins in the German language, and is pronounced VEN-keh. Historically, it would have likely been associated with regional variations such as Wahnke, Wahnkee, Wanke, Wanke, Weink, Wehnke, Wenke, and Wonde – the spelling becoming standardised in the 19th century.
The origins of the name are likely connected to places such as Wanke, Wönk, and Wehnke, all of which have been found in old land documents and maps from the region. For instance, Wohnke is a town in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany, while Wanke is a village near to Balingen, Baden-Württemberg in South Western Germany.
As such, the surname Waehnke is still commonly found throughout German-speaking countries, Central Europe and areas with a strong German heritage. It is less common in other countries throughout the world as those of Germanic descent dispersed during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Variations of the surname Waehnke
Variants and spellings of the surname Waehnke can include Wehnke, Wähnke, Waehnik, Vecnik, Vehnke, Vinke, Vaenke, Vehnke, Wahnke, and Weenke. The surnames Wahnik, Wennink, Wihnik and Wienke may be derived from Waehnke, but this is not definitively known.
The surname Waehnke originates from Germany. It is most likely formed from either the Middle High German word "wahne", meaning wholesome, brave, and strong; or from the personal name "Wahneke", a patronymic from the personal name "Wahne", meaning misty, cloudy. Hence, the surname Waehnke is often found in German church records in association with personal names such as Wahne and Wahneke.
The late eighteenth and nineteenth century saw the migration of large numbers of people from Germany to other parts of Europe, the Americas, New Zealand, and Australia. As a result, spellings and variants of the Waehnke surname are found in many locations outside of Germany. For example, the surname is common in parts of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany; and in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In addition, Waehnke is a relatively rare surname, meaning that most of the people found with this surname are likely to be related to one another in some way.
Famous people with the name Waehnke
- Jenna Waehnke: Jenna is an award-winning film director and producer, with credits including Forgetting Dad and Wanted.
- Bailey Waehnke: Bailey is an actor and activist. He starred in an anti-gun campaign to benefit the Everytown for Gun Safety Foundation.
- Andrea Waehnke: Andrea is a professional snowboarder who has competed in numerous O’Neill Burton World Snowboard Tour events.
- Robert Waehnke: Robert is an American physicist and a Professor Emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Aron Waehnke: Aron is a German actor and filmmaker, best known for directing and producing the short science fiction film, Rites of Passage.
- Jennifer Waehnke: Jennifer is a jazz musician and composer. She is also the lead singer and songwriter for the group, The Waehnekaes.
- Tim Waehnke: Tim is a German cyclist and winner of four medals at the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
- David Waehnke: David is an American artist who creates dynamic abstract and figurative paintings, prints, and mixed media.
- John Waehnke: John is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- Stephen Waehnke: Stephen is an American theatre director, actor and writer, best known for his critically acclaimed production of Macbeth.