Surname Merkes - Meaning and Origin
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Merkes: What does the surname Merkes mean?
The last name Merkes is of German and Dutch origin. It is an occupational name derived from the Middle High German or Dutch word 'mercker', meaning 'miner' or 'miner's assistant'. This was likely a role carried out by members of the Merkes family from early on in their ancestry, as it is not a common surname.
The last name Merkes is most prominent in the northern part of Germany, mainly in the area between the city of Köln and the Ruhrgebiet. It has also been found in the Netherlands and other parts of German-speaking Europe.
The roots of the Merkes surname can also be seen in America, particularly among the Pennsylvania Dutch. This could be a result of emigration from Germany or the Netherlands, and there are numerous first hand accounts of Merkes migrants arriving in America throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Today, the Merkes surname is still prominent across Europe and America, and the traditional family trades of mining and metalworking remain popular among modern-day Merkes families.
Order DNA origin analysisMerkes: Where does the name Merkes come from?
The last name Merkes is most common today in Germany. It is a surname with Germanic origins, likely deriving from the German word “Merke,” which means a mark or sign. In some cases, it has been found to be a toponymic surname for people living near a lake called “Merke” or a forest called “Merkenwald”.
In Germany, Merkes is the 1170th most popular last name, with an estimated 5410 citizens having this name. It is common in the north central regions of Germany, but there are also small but statistically significant numbers of people with this name in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
In the United States, the last name Merkes is fairly uncommon, with only a few hundred people having the name. This is likely due to the fact that Merkes is specific to the German-speaking countries of Europe.
In addition to being a last name, Merkes is also used as a given name in some places, particularly in Germany, where it is a masculine name that is often seen in combination with other given names, such as Friedrich, Ulrich, or Leo.
Variations of the surname Merkes
The variant spellings and surnames of the same origin of Merkes are mostly German and Dutch. Some of the variants include Mörckes, Mörkes, Mörikes, Merkese, Merckes, Merckese, Marckes, Marcks, Marcke, Merkie, and Maerckes.
The German and Dutch variation of Merkes is Mörikes and Flügge-Mörikes. This variant is primarily used in the names of family and places in Germany, including the villages located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.
The variant spelling of Merkes from the Netherlands is Maerckes. This variant is also used in the Netherlands for family names and places. Additionally, Marcke is also a common surname found in the Netherlands.
In Austria, the variant spelling of Merkes is Merkese. Merkese is used to refer to families from Austria, including the Merkese family from Schwaigern, Baden-Württemberg. The variant spellings Merckes and Merckese are also popular in Austria.
Finally, the surname Merkie is found in Scotland and mainly used for families living in the Aberdeenshire region. The variant spelling of Mörckes is also an alternate spelling found in Scotland, especially in families from the Angus region.
Famous people with the name Merkes
- Peter Merkes: former Austrian football striker
- Lars Merkes: Norwegian jazz guitarist
- Kirsten Merkes: Danish former ski jumper
- Lisa Merkes: German athlete in the discus throw and hammer throw
- Tobias Merkes: United States Aprilia race car driver
- Jan Merkes- Dutch retired association footballer
- Mary T. Merkes: former Pennsylvania State Senator
- Stephen Richard Merkes: 1964 Medal of Honor Recipient
- Eric Merkes: Canadian filmmaker and documentarian
- Albert S Merkes: American artist
- Reka Merkes: Romanian-French professor of English literature