Surname Reinink - Meaning and Origin
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Reinink: What does the surname Reinink mean?
The last name Reinink is likely derived from the German word "Reiningen," which would indicate that people who carried the Reinink name originally came from the village of Reiningen, located in Lower Saxony in western Germany. The name is believed to have originated as a toponymic surname, meaning that it originated from the geographical location of Reiningen.
The village of Reiningen has a long history. It is mentioned in records of the first half of the 11th century when it belonged to the Imperial Abbey of Corvey. It later became part of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the late 13th century. By the early 19th century, Reiningen had about 900 inhabitants and primarily consisted of farmers and craftsmen.
Reinink family members likely spread throughout Germany and other European countries as they moved in search of better opportunities. Over time, they made their way to the United States, and the Reinink name can be found in records dating as far back as the early 19th century.
In summary, the last name Reinink is likely of German origin and is derived from the village of Reiningen. It likely started out as a toponymic surname, but, with time, spread throughout Europe and the United States. People carrying the Reinink name likely have a long and varied history that dates back hundreds of years and is tied to the history of the small village of Reiningen in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisReinink: Where does the name Reinink come from?
The last name Reinink is most commonly found in the Netherlands, as well as in its former colonies, the Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia. The Netherlands has the largest population of Reinink's of any other country in the world, with just over 5,000 people bearing the last name. Other countries with high concentrations of Reinink's are Germany, the United States, Canada, and Belgium. Many German Reinink’s migrated from the Rhineland area beginning in the 1600s, and the US and Canada saw an influx of Reinink’s in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The family name is believed to have its origin in the area of western Germany and the Netherlands, and variations of the name are seen in many surrounding countries. It is thought that the Reinink name may have been derived from the word “regio”, meaning borderland, as many of the Reininks were living in the borderlands between the two countries. Today, Reinink’s live all around the world, though the majority of the population is still concentrated in the Netherlands, Indonesia, Germany, and the United States.
Variations of the surname Reinink
The Reinink surname has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include the Reining, Reigning, Reininger, Reininghaus, Reininck, Reinincks, Reininkx, Reynincks, Reijninck, Reininckx, Reininger, Reinincx, Reijning, Reijnings, Reininga, Reijnink, Rayninck, Reijnen, Reninck, Reyninck, Reijnincks, and Reyning.
The Reinink surname is a Dutch or Middle-German surname deriving from the Middle High German word "Reine" which means "rule" or "command." As a result of its origin, many of the variations of the surname Reinink contain the prefixes “Rein”, “Reij”, or “Rayn”. Other than the spellings of the surname which are derivatives of the Middle High German word, other spellings have also emerged. This is due to the frequent adoption of a different spelling in foreign countries which leads to spelling differences for the same name.
In Holland, the Reinink surname is most common in the southeast provinces of Overijssel, Gelderland, North Brabant, Zeeland, and Limburg. The spelling Reigning is more common in the Berlin and Prussian region. The name Reininger is common in Germany. In the United States, it is common in cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Houston.
Overall, the Reinink surname has many spellings, variants, and surnames derived from the same origin. These include Reining, Reigning, Reininger, Reininghaus, Reininck, Reinincks, Reininkx, Reynincks, Reijninck, Reininckx, Reininger, Reinincx, Reijning, Reijnings, Reininga, Reijnink, Rayninck, Reijnen, Reninck, Reyninck, Reijnincks, and Reyning.
Famous people with the name Reinink
- Lucas Reinink: Dutch professional basketball player who currently plays for SC Cempt, a professional basketball team in his hometown of Leeuwarden.
- Jan Reinink: Dutch football player who plays as a defender for Denmark's FC Utrecht.
- Bob Reinink: Olympic gold medalist in rowing at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
- Yannick Reinink: Dutch professional racquetball player who competed in the Racquetball World Championships four times in his career.
- Adam Reinink: Canadian professional snowboarder and professional snowboard coach.
- Mike Reinink: American professional golfer who won twelve tournaments on the PGA Tour.
- Jorrit Reinink: Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for the Dutch side SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden.
- Robbert Reinink: Dutch entrepreneur, computer scientist, and author.
- Ron Reinink: Dutch professional darts player who currently plays for the Professional Darts Corporation.
- Brenda Reinink: Canadian journalist and author who won the Canadian Writers Award for her book, Inside Passage.