Surname Tolkendorf - Meaning and Origin
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Tolkendorf: What does the surname Tolkendorf mean?
The last name Tolkendorf is of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German words "Tolc" meaning people, and "Endorff" meaning far-off. Thus, as a whole, it is thought to mean "people from afar".
This surname originated with origins dating back to the pre-medieval period of the Holy Roman Empire. It is believed to have likely been applied as a surname by families who moved to unfamiliar areas and wanted to prove their past to the natives of the area they were moving to.
Tolkendorf is one of the few surnames found in Germany still used today. However, it is no longer exclusive to that region, as it is found in countries around the world.
In Germany, Tolkendorf is sometimes regionalized as Tolkendörf, though the two spellings are essentially the same.
It is believed that bearers of the name had a sense of family tradition and honor. Those who have the Tolkendorf surname often share a strong bond within their family and strive to uphold traditional values.
Today, the Tolkendorf last name is a reminder of a history and tradition of people who have traveled to distant lands, but still remain closely connected to each other through shared values and beliefs.
Order DNA origin analysisTolkendorf: Where does the name Tolkendorf come from?
The last name Tolkendorf is most prevalent in Germany today. Generally, the name is viewed under the German spelling “Tölkendorf,” and is originally derived from the city of Tolkendorf in Schleswig-Holstein. Residents of the city were typically either farmers or merchants, and records from as early as the 15th century exist of individuals with this surname. Many of them owned farms or businesses in either the town of Tolkendorf, or the nearby villages of Roitzsch, Neuendorf and Schluorf.
The name has also spread to other parts of Europe, including England and the Netherlands, as immigration from Germany and neighboring countries increased in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the greatest concentration of individuals with the surname Tölkendorf is still to be found in the region of its origin in Germany. It is most likely that the name is still concentrated in this area due to the fact that the area enjoyed relative stability in the turbulent centuries of the Middle Ages, and that many Tölkendorf families chose to remain in the same area over the generations. Today, there are still many Tölkendorf residents living in the same region of northern Germany in which the name first originated.
Variations of the surname Tolkendorf
The surname Tolkendorf is an Old German name which originates from a place known as Tolkendorp, a village near Oldenburg, in Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word “Tolkendorf”, which means “fortified town”.
The variants of this surname include Tolkendorf, Tolkentorp, Tulkendorf, Volkendorf, Folgendorf, Tolgendorf, Tolkanthorp, Tolgendorp, and Tolkandorp, as well as the alternate spellings Tolkenorph, Tolkenrof and Tolkenrooth.
The surnames that also derive from the same origin are Tulendorp, Tulendorf, Tolkenburg, Tolkencroft, Tulkenbok, Volkenberg, Folkenberg, Tulkendorff, Tolgentorp, Tulgentorp, Olgentorp, and Tolkorft.
The surnames derived from the same origin display variations not only in spelling, but also in pronunciation. For example, “Tolkendorf” is pronounced with an “f” sound at the end, while “Tulkendorf” is pronounced with a “ff” sound at the end.
This name is found in several countries, including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Austria, Norway, and Finland.
The surname Tolkendorf can be translated as “town of fortification”. As such, it could indicate a family that once lived in a strongly fortified town or castle.
Famous people with the name Tolkendorf
- Johannes Tolkendorf (1895-1961): German architect and urban planner. He designed several innovative buildings including the Breslau Synagogue and the Wehrtechnische Fakultaet at TU Berlin.
- Lorenz Tolkendorf (1888-1961): German engineer who designed roads in the late 1920s and early 1930s and worked to improve road safety standards.
- Erwin Tolkendorf (1926-2010): German painter and printmaker who combined realist and abstract elements in his work.
- Wolfgang Tolkendorf (born 1958): German economist and former state secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology under the Gerhard Schröder administration.
- Ines Tolkendorf (born 1989): German singer and frontwoman for the poppy rock band Monsta and for the jazz quartet The Ines Project.
- Maria Tolkendorf (1914-2005): German physician and specialist in internal medicine who was active in the bulimia nervosa movement.
- Kurt Tolkendorf (1909-1979): German soldier who fought in both World War II and the Korean War and was decorated for bravery.
- Gunther Tolkendorf (1922-1976): German microbiologist who studied the biology and ecology of the urinary tract and its flora, and developed treatments for urinary tract infections.