Surname Reinema - Meaning and Origin
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Reinema: What does the surname Reinema mean?
The last name Reinema is of Dutch-Frisian origin, derived from the Old Germanic Raginheim, meaning a home governed by wise counsel. The name is likely to have originated from the combination of the two forms "Ragin" and "heim", symbolizing a family's desire for wise judgment during critical decisions.
Reinema is derived from a Germanic tribe, the Chalina, who lived in northwestern Europe before the 7th century. Initially, this tribe was considered Ned fatty, a subset of the Northern Germanic tribes, but was eventually absorbed by the Charims and eventually the Saxons. Reinema, or Raginheim, was a derived name from the variations of this original tribe name.
This tribal name was likely brought to the Netherlands during the 16th century by immigrants from Germany who settled in northern Holland and southern Belgium. It was a popular name among the early Dutch settlers who were among the first group of people to step into America and settle in New York in the early 1600s.
Today, Reinema is primarily a Dutch-Frisian surname, but can also be found in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In some cases, the name has been changed to Reinald or Reynaert but still holds the same meaning. People bearing this last name might have characteristics associated with wisdom, strong judgment, and a desire for protection from outside forces.
Order DNA origin analysisReinema: Where does the name Reinema come from?
The last name Reinema is most commonly found in and around the Southern Netherlands and Northwestern Germany.
In the Netherlands, around ten people per 100,000 carry the name Reinema, mainly concentrated in the provinces of Drenthe, Friesland, and Groningen, in the Northern Netherlands.
In Germany, the name Reinema can be found mainly in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, which share a border with the Netherlands. The cities of Osnabrück and Münster, for example, are known to have high amounts of people with the last name Reinema.
The surname is particularly common in the small city of Emden, which is located in Lower Saxony and has been known to have a large number of Reinema families since the 19th century.
Furthermore, a large number of descendants of the Reinema family have spread out across other European countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Canada is also home to a substantial amount of people bearing the Reinema name, although in much smaller numbers.
There are also families with the name Reinema in the United States, usually in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. These areas have seen population growth in the past few decades due in part to people of Dutch origin coming over from the Netherlands.
Variations of the surname Reinema
Reinema is an uncommon surname, most commonly found in the Netherlands, but with few variations. Across English pronunciation, it can be spelled multiple ways including Reinemann, Reinmann, Reineman, Rineman, and Reinnemann. Reinema is also a Flemish name, with variants including reinemans and Raynemans.
In the Netherlands, the surname Reinema is also believed to originate from the Dutch name Rein, which means 'strong river.' Rein is a popular first name in the Netherlands, probably derived from Dutch Rein, meaning 'pure or clean,' as in 'rein van hart,' signifying 'pure of heart.' Variations of the Rein surname include Reins, Rain, Rhein, and Reijn.
Reinema surname variations found in Germany include Reinmann, Reinnemann, Rainemann, and Reinecke. Reinmuth is another German variation.
In Finland, the Reinema spelling can also change to Ryhynen, a variation of the name, which is derived from Ryynanen, meaning 'thorn bush.'
In conclusion, while Reinema is an uncommon surname, it has numerous variations and spellings across various countries and languages. These spellings are believed to have derived from Dutch, German, and Finnish variations of the name.
Famous people with the name Reinema
- Doug Reinema: a Broadway stage actor and singer
- Joost Reinema: a Dutch footballer
- Thomas Reinema: a professor of International Relations at Copenhagen Business School
- Qaini Reinema: a professional Indonesian badminton player
- Erin Reinema: a children's author and illustrator
- Joseph Reinema: a Dutch Olympic swimmer
- Erlend Reinema: a Norwegian curler
- Christopher Reinema: a retired professional American football player
- Ivar Reinema: a Norwegian politician and Member of Parliament
- Diane Reinema: a former American synchronized swimmer