Surname Boehnlein - Meaning and Origin
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Boehnlein: What does the surname Boehnlein mean?
The last name Boehnlein is a German last name, most commonly found in southwestern Germany. It is a fairly common name and is known by various regional spellings such as Bachlein, Bohnlein, and Bohnle. Most likely, the name stems from the Middle High German word ‘Bohne', meaning "bean". Essentially, Boehnlein is likely derived from someone who owned or lived on a farm which grew beans or had a bean house – the German equivalent of a general store.
The Boehnlein surname is likely to be an indicator of one’s ancestry from this particular area. Additionally, it may be an indicator of one’s religious affiliation, as it tends to cluster around certain Catholic or Protestant parishes in southern Germany. Commonly, Boehnlein families can be traced back to the 15th century in Germany.
For those with the Boehnlein surname, the name still carries meaning today. In German, “lein” is an agnomen often used in surnames to mean “small” or “young” – as such, Boehnlein can be interpreted as “little bean”, indicating a connection to nature, especially local farming traditions. Its use also suggests an old-fashioned traditionalism that many might appreciate.
By tracing the origins of the last name Boehnlein, it is clear that it carries a deep history and reflects the rich culture of Germany. Its various implications still have relevance today, and it can be an important personal identifier for those bearing the name.
Order DNA origin analysisBoehnlein: Where does the name Boehnlein come from?
The last name Boehnlein is common primarily in Germany, where a majority of people who carry this surname live. Several branches of the Boehnlein family are distributed throughout Hesse, the Lower Bavarian region, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony. Outside of Germany, the surname is also somewhat common in countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
The Boehnlein surname has a long and interesting history, derived from the German words “Bon” and “Lein”, meaning “ummary” and “meadow”, respectively. The Boehnlein name likely evolved to become a toponymic surname (one derived from a place or location) and can be traced as far back as the 14th century, when it is known to have been used as a family name.
Today, nearly 4,000 people in Germany share the Boehnlein last name, with smaller yet significant numbers found in nearby countries. The Boehnlein surname may also be found in some rare cases throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Australia, as a result of immigration sparked by the 19th and 20th centuries.
Though the name confers no particular privileges or distinctions, it still brings with it a certain air of pride and respect. The Boehnleins of today are the proud heirs of a long and rich family history, and likely all share a certain familial bond—despite now living among a variety of different cultures.
Variations of the surname Boehnlein
The Boehnlein surname is a German toponymic surname, meaning 'at the small stream'. It is derived from the Old High German 'buhilna', meaning 'little resident house'. Variants of the Boehnlein surname include Boehnel, Bohnlein, Bonlein, and Bohnle.
Spellings of the Boehnlein surname may include Bohnlein, Buhnel, Bohnel, and Buhnilin. Surnames of similar meaning with the same origin include Bohlen, Bohner, Bohnhoff, and Bohnert.
Some of the Boehnlein surname variants may have been adopted to distinguish different branches of the same family that moved to different areas. Sometimes surnames were changed to sound more like the dialect of the region they settled in. This can be seen in the variation of the Boehnlein surname spelling to Bonlein.
There are many hyphenated combinations of this surname, primarily relating to marriages between families of similar origin. Some examples are Boehnlein-Bohlen, Boehnlein-Bohnlein, and Bohnlein-Bohlen.
When the Boehnlein surname was brought to the United States, some changes occurred due to geographic location or beliefs. Such surnames include Bohen, Boe, Bohenle, and Bohnle. Longer variants of the name include Boehnelein, Boehnle, and Bohnlein.
The Boehnlein surname has its own unique lineage of family and history. Its variants, spellings, and surnames of similar origin are just a few linguistic examples of how this name has developed over time and travelled from its place of German origin.
Famous people with the name Boehnlein
- Conrad Boehnlein: Atomic physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- Keith Boehnlein: American soccer player.
- John Reiss Boehnlein: U.S. Navy admiral.
- George J. Boehnlein: American former professional basketball player.
- Bradley Michael Boehnlein: American professional cross-country skier and former member of the United States Ski Team.
- Theodore Curry Boehnlein: American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia in the 1980s.
- Kurt A. Boehnlein: American Major General.
- Donald J. Boehnlein: Amaerican historian and academic.
- J. Raymond Boehnlein: American engineer and business executive.
- Robert Boehnlein: former NCAA basketball coach.
- Joseph Edwin Boehnlein: United States Coast Guard officer.
- Rudolph Henry Boehnlein: U.S. Naval Officer.
- Harold William Boehnlein: American industrialist.
- William John Boehnlein: American physicist.
- Maria Anna Boehnlein: Austrian musician.
- Margaret Boehnlein: American poet, fiction writer, and essayist.
- Johann Boehnlein: German botanist.
- Peter G. Boehnlein: American chemist.
- Ernst Ludwig Boehnlein: German-born US businessman.
- Raymond Boyle Boehnlein: U.S. Navy psychoanalyst.