Surname Lempken - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'L'
Lempken: What does the surname Lempken mean?
The surname Lempken is of German origin. The name is derived from the Middle High German words “limprehte” or “lempreht” which mean “craftsmanship” or “skill”. This suggests that the original bearers of this family name were likely skilled craftsmen in some way.
The earliest known record detailing the Lempken surname is from 1550, when Christoffel Lempken was noted as a Prebendary of Lemgo in Germany. This suggests that the family was well established at that time. Later records exist in the 1700’s and 1800’s detailing the Lempken family in various towns and cities across Germany.
As with many family names, the popularity of the Lempken surname has fluctuated over the centuries. It is still relatively uncommon today, but the name has made its way across Europe and beyond.
The Lempken name may today be used to suggest a sense of hard work, strength and perseverance. Those with the surname Lempken may also feel a strong sense of identity and connection to their ancestors - those craftsmen whose skills were so highly valued by their community.
Order DNA origin analysisLempken: Where does the name Lempken come from?
The last name Lempken is most commonly found in Germany and in parts of the Netherlands to a lesser extent. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was associated with the aristocratic families living in the small German state of Oldenburg.
As with many last names, Lempken has seen some spelling variations and geographical movements over the centuries due to various historic factors.
Today, the highest concentrations of Lempkens are in North-West Germany, most notably in the large cities of Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover and Oldenburg. Lempken is also relatively common in the Netherlands in cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven.
In addition to Germany and the Netherlands, the Lempken surname can also be found in the United States, Canada and a few other countries around the world. Most of the individuals who still carry the last name do so in some variation of its original spelling.
Given its origin and regional history, it's likely that any Lempkens found outside of these countries are descendants of those who migrated in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
Variations of the surname Lempken
The surname Lempken is of German and Dutch origin. Depending on the region, variants of this surname may include Lembke, Lemcke, Lemke, Lempker, Limke, and Limpken. In some cases, Lempken may also be found spelled as Lempkken or Lempkker.
In Germany, the surname Lempken is most commonly found in the city of Hamburg. In Dutch, it is primarily found in Groningen and Friesland provinces. The first known reference to the Lempken surname in Germany dates back to 1695, when a Johann Hans Lempken was born in the city of Kiel.
The Lempken surname is derived from a nickname given to a person who had a singularly cheerful disposition or a bald head. The "Lem," in the surname refers to a call issued to crows, and the suffix "-pken" refers to the head. Similarly, "Lembke" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "Lem," meaning Baldness, combined with the suffix "-bke," meaning little.
In the Netherlands, the Lempken spelling is often anglicized to Limpken. This surname can also be found anglicized as Lumpkin or Lumpkins. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Dutch families with the surname Lempken emigrated to America, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. In some cases, such as during the Second World War, Lempken's descendants adopted surnames such as Lampl to hide their Germanic origins.
In addition, Lempken is also found in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where it is sometimes spelled as Lemfix. In all of these countries, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, people with the surname Lempken worked primarily as farmers, tradesmen, smiths, and millers.
Famous people with the name Lempken
- Bill Lempken: professional baseball player in the Boston Braves organization during the 1940s.
- Ken Lempken: former professional baseball pitcher who pitched for the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres from 1984 to 1986.
- Barbara Lempken: German politician for the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
- Hans Lempken: former German-Austrian downhill skier who won two gold medals in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
- Oskar Lempken: German lawyer and Nazi party official who rose to prominence as the mayor of Berlin from 1934 to 1945.
- Rudi Lempken: German surgeon, scientist, and inventor who was a pioneer in the field of stem cell research.
- Johann Lempken: German painter who was part of the Dusseldorf School of Painting.
- Kurt Lempken: German gymnast who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games, where he won a gold medal in the team all-around event.
- Albert Lempken: German physician who served as the medical director of the Brodfuehrer hospital in Berlin during the Second World War.
- Karl Lempken: German cyclist who won the gold medal in the kilometer time trial at the 1928 Summer Olympics.