Surname Röhlecke - Meaning and Origin
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Röhlecke: What does the surname Röhlecke mean?
The surname, Röhlecke, is believed to have originated from Central and Eastern Germany and is derived from the middle-high German surname ‘Röhlenke’. The name itself is a combination of two words, being ‘Röhle’, meaning a groove, furrow or fissure, and ‘ke’, being a diminutive suffix. Hence, when combined, the surname could be interpreted to mean ‘Little Furrow’, which likely referred to a particular geographical location or an ancestral family line, whereby the family owned or worked on a farm surrounded by furrows.
The name is significant in Christian symbolism as it may be interpreted to refer to the proverb found in the book of Psalm, ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ The metaphorical meaning of the ‘groove’, or ‘furrow’ in the name could be a reference to the ‘paths of righteousness’ as mentioned in the Psalm.
Röhlecke has been documented in Germany since the 13th century, with records showing that bearers of the name were scattered across the entire German Empire in the Middle Ages. Interestingly, the name is still found in countries with a large German diaspora, including the United States, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden. It is also widely found in certain regions of Eastern Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisRöhlecke: Where does the name Röhlecke come from?
The last name Röhlecke is a German family name, and is commonly found in Germany today. Since the 1800s, German emigration has been significant, with many families originating in Germany who now reside in the United States, Canada, and South America.
Due to this emigration, it is also possible to find people with the Röhlecke surname living in other countries. For example, the United States Census Bureau’s 2020 report shows that people with the surname Röhlecke are living in the US states of Nebraska, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Montana.
In addition, it is possible to find people with the Röhlecke surname living in other parts of the world. The United Kingdom has the highest population of people with this surname outside of Germany, according to World Names Public Profiler. Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and Austria also have people with this surname.
In modern Germany, the Röhlecke surname is most commonly found in the northern and western regions of the country, particularly in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. The earliest recorded instance of this surname in Germany was from the 13th century, indicating Germanic origins.
The Röhlecke surname has also been well-documented throughout German history, including records of births, marriages, and deaths. By tracing these records, it is possible to trace the migration and evolution of this surname over time.
Variations of the surname Röhlecke
The surname Röhlecke is believed to be of German origin and derives from the Middle High German phrase ‘hrohe lëcke’, which literally translates to mean ‘privy hole’. As such, variations of the spelling include Rohlecke, Röhleck, Röhlecken, Rohleck, Rohlecken, Röhleke, and Röhleken, among others.
When tracing the origins of the surname further back, the Old High German spelling was ‘hrōh lihhan’ or ‘hrōh lihhun’, meaning ‘privies’. Thus, the early spellings of the surname were ‘Royalke’, ‘Röhling’, and ‘Röhlih’.
Originally an occupational name, some of the many variations of the original surname are derived from other locations and places. For instance, the name Röhlich has its roots in Austria, Röhleke is found in southeast Germany, and Rohlik is specific to Slovakia. Other variants include Rohlicek, Röhlick, and Rohlik, found in the Czech Republic.
Given the surname’s German roots, several other versions of Röhlecke are found across Europe. Functions such as swaps of the ‘i’ for an ‘e’ (example Rohelick) or switches of the ‘ec’ for an ‘i’ (example Rohlik) are often used in Europe. These variations, along with more regional spellings such as Rhölek, Rhelek, Röhlke, Rölek, and Rohles, are more commonly found along the German border countries and the Eastern countries that formed the former Slavic states.
Additionally, due to the married status of women at the time of migration, some versions of the Röhlecke surname can be found as ‘Röhlecke-Muller’ and ‘Röhlecke-Weber’ which would refer to the maiden name and married surname of the bearer. As such, there are many spellings and variations of the Röhlecke surname.
Famous people with the name Röhlecke
- Rolf Röhlecke (1890–1965) was a German painter and graphic artist.
- Mathilde Röhlecke (1880–1948) was a German opera singer who performed at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Vienna State Opera.
- Ludwig Röhlecke (1837–1909) was a German theologian and Old Testament scholar.
- Jakob Röhlecke (1765–1845) was a German composer active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
- Johann Gottfried Röhlecke (1743–1818) was a German Lutheran theologian and scientific agriculturist.
- Otto Röhlecke (1828–1902) was a German zoologist, entomologist, and paleontologist in the late 19th century.
- Werner Röhlecke (born 1942) is a German former footballer who played for a number of clubs in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Carolus August Röhlecke (born 1824) was a German lawyer and legal scholar in the 19th century.
- Karl Röhlecke (1818–1887) was a German doctor, botanist, and philosopher in the late 19th century.
- Friedrich Röhlecke (1828–1893) was a German archaeologist and businessman.