Surname Pankraths - Meaning and Origin
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Pankraths: What does the surname Pankraths mean?
The last name Pankraths is of German origin. It is derived from the German words "panke", meaning "watermeadow" or "low-lying, marshy ground", and "rath," meaning "fortified by walls." This name indicates a historically familial connection to the owning of land, or living near a watermeadow or marshy ground.
Pankraths is often associated with the Lower Rhineland region of Germany, and may even refer to an outlying family estate of a nearby city. This surname is not common, but it still exists today among individuals who live in the Lower Rhine region, where their ancestors lived hundreds of years ago.
Pankraths is an interesting name, as its original meaning ties people to a geographical area and a particular profession (farming). It gives insight into a family lineage and its attachment to land and work. Individuals with this surname likely trace their roots to a specific time and place in history. For example, someone might be able to trace their roots back to the time of German emperors and knights, or to a city or other towns in the region.
Since the surname Pankraths is relatively uncommon, it's very special to those who have it. It can tell us so much about our heritage and connection to a specific place. As years go by, it's important to remember and honor our family's past by researching our last name and its interesting historical roots and implications.
Order DNA origin analysisPankraths: Where does the name Pankraths come from?
The surname Pankraths is primarily found in Germany. It is believed to have originated in Bavaria, where there is still a strong concentration of people with the Pankraths surname today. In addition to Germany, people with the surname Pankraths can be found in multiple countries throughout Europe, as well as in the U.S.
As of the 2000 United States Census, those with the surname Pankraths make up 0.001% of the population in the United States. Most of the people with the surname Pankraths in the US are found in California (18%), followed by Illinois (15%). Overall, there are only 269 people with the surname Pankraths in the United States.
Due to the high concentration of people with the Pankraths surname in Bavaria, Germany remains the main place where the surname is found today. Some smaller towns in Bavaria show a high concentration of people with the last name. For example, Zahling, a town located in the district of Cham, has a population of 15,763 people, and 121 of those are named Pankraths. Smaller towns such as these are the current center for the surname Pankraths.
Variations of the surname Pankraths
The surname Pankraths has a number of variants, spellings, and associated surnames of the same origin. It is often spelled as Pankrats, Pankrath, Panckrath, Paenckrath, Penckrat, Pennkraft, Penkrat, Penckrath, Penckert, and Penkarte. All of these variants likely originate from the Old High German surname Pankrat, meaning "pit at a hole," or "in the mud."
Some associated surnames include older Middle High German pre-surnames probably derived from ‘Pankrat’ such as Pankraz, Pankrits, and Pancrat, all of which indicate that the originator of the Pankraths family was someone who lived by, or owned a pond or land covered by water.
Other surnames that may have derived from Pankrath include Pankroll, Punckratz, Panker, Pancker, Penko, Pennkrath, Pankert and Ponkrath. These last three spellings are particularly common near Oldenburg.
Some Americanized versions of the surname have arisen in the West, including the spelling Pengra, Penagra, Penkra, Pinkgra, Pankra, and Pinckrat.
A variety of standardized variants can be found throughout Europe, often in local dialects, but none are as common as the original spelling of Pankraths. Given its complexity, it is likely that researchers will find additional, unique variants of this surname in the archives of Europe and America.
Famous people with the name Pankraths
- Aleks Pankrath: German professional soccer player
- Erika Pankrath: German Olympic dressage rider
- High Pankrath: German artist and sculptor
- Wally Pankrath: Canadian film director, writer and producer
- Sabine Pankrath: Dutch news presenter
- Christine Pankrath: German actress
- Reinhard Pankrath: German writer and publisher
- Josephine Pankrath: German artist
- Johannes Pankrath: German theologian
- Ulrich Pankrath: German painter
- Dieter Pankrath: German professor of public law
- Elisabeth Pankrath: German mathematician
- Rüdiger Pankrath: German windsurfer and writer
- Karl Pankrath: German artist
- Otto Pankrath: German film actor
- Klaus Pankrath: German journalist
- David Pankrath: German stuntman
- Andreas Pankrath: German fashion designer
- Ilona Pankrath: German sculptor
- Matthias Pankrath: German sculptor