Surname Menninga - Meaning and Origin
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Menninga: What does the surname Menninga mean?
The last name Menninga is of Dutch origin. It is believed to have come from the Dutch word "mennen," which is a verb meaning "to lead." In its various spellings—Menninga, Menning, Menningen—it may refer to a person who was a leader, such as a mayor, captain or magistrate. It may also have been a descriptive name for someone who had a certain characteristic, such as being an influential figure, or for someone who lived by a certain type of way, such as the moral code or laws of a particular region or country.
The name Menninga most likely gained its popularity in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe, in the Netherlands. During the Middle Ages, these areas were predominately inhabited by Dutch Christians. In addition, it was common for people to use this type of last name as a sign of identity, expressing personal values and characteristics.
Today, the Menninga name is most commonly seen in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany. It is one of the most familiar Dutch last names, and is featured in the WorldNames PublicProfiler database. While the spelling has evolved over time, the meaning remains the same: a leader.
Order DNA origin analysisMenninga: Where does the name Menninga come from?
The last name Menninga is most commonly found in the Netherlands, specifically in areas in the southern and western provinces of the country. It is also commonly seen in some areas of the United States, particularly in the Midwest region.
The Menninga surname was first used in the Netherlands in the late medieval period, when it originally began as a patronymic name from the Gaelic Dutch personal name, Menna. It was also adopted by some families of German and Dutch origin living in the Netherlands.
It gradually spread southward from the Netherlands into northern France during the 1500s and 1600s. During this time, many families bearing the Menninga surname immigrated to the United States and Canada to find a better life.
In the US today, the Menninga name is most concentrated in the Midwest, with higher concentrations in the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois. In the state of Illinois alone, there are more than 2,000 people with the Menninga surname.
The Menninga name has also spread to other countries, including Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, where it remains rare but still present in some areas.
Variations of the surname Menninga
The surname Menninga is a patronymic name derived from the German word “mann” meaning “man” or “husband”. As a result, the surname has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, including Menne, Mannig, Manning, Menige, Menegen, Manninck, Mening, Menicke, Mannink, Meningen, and Menigke.
The surname Menninga originated in Holland and has now spread to many countries around the world. In the United States, the surname is most commonly encountered in cities in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota, which were heavily settled by immigrants from Holland.
The variations of the surname Menninga follow the same rules of genealogy that apply to many other surnames. Therefore, for example, a person’s surname may change depending on where he or she lives. In many cases, a person may have picked up the surname from their place of origin. Alternatively, a person may have adopted the spelling of the surname that happened to be the most common in their particular region or country.
In the English language, there are also some variations of the spelling of the surname Menninga. Depending on which language is being used, the surname can become Menningeh, Menninger, Minninga, Minninger, Menneking, Mennenga, and a variety of other spellings.
Despite the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin associated with the name Menninga, all of these surnames can be traced back to the same place of origin, meaning that while one family may have a different spelling of the surname than another, they may still share the same ancestors.
Famous people with the name Menninga
- JJ Menninga: a Dutch professional basketball player who currently plays in the Netherlands and the G-League.
- Chris Menninga: a retired American professional wrestler.
- Jethro Menninga: a Hall of Fame professional football player from the Netherlands.
- Herman Menninga: a Dutch actor and director.
- Jerry Menninga: a former American football offensive lineman who played in the NFL.
- Marc Menninga: an American professional golfer and television broadcaster.
- Pieter Menninga: a Dutch rapper and songwriter.
- Ryan Menninga: a Canadian professional volleyball player.
- Scott Menninga: an American professional bass fisherman.
- Sarah Menninga: an American actress and singer.