Surname van Emmerich - Meaning and Origin
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van Emmerich: What does the surname van Emmerich mean?
The last name van Emmerich is a Dutch toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from the name of a place. It is derived from the words "van", meaning "of" and "Emmerich", which is the name of a city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located near the Dutch border. The surname most likely originated from the fact that the city was a part of a network of Dutch settlements in the area in the past.
The van Emmerich family is believed to have had its origins in the area around Emmerich during the late Middle Ages. The earliest surviving record of the name appears in a tax assessement document from 1342, where the name "Van Emrikh" is mentioned amongst a list of families in the area. The spelling of the name has changed over the centuries, likely due to changes in local dialects.
Over the years, bearers of the last name have spread out all over the world, although the majority of them continue to reside in the Emmerich region. Many bearers of the name have become successful in different fields, from politics to finance to sports. In the modern world, the van Emmerich name remains a strong reminder of the family's Dutch origin and their long connection to the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Order DNA origin analysisvan Emmerich: Where does the name van Emmerich come from?
The last name van Emmerich is most common in the Netherlands and other parts of Central Europe, including Germany and Hungary. It is an old-fashioned Dutch surname meaning “from Emmerich,” a region in the Netherlands, and is thought to have originated in the Middle Ages. Van Emmerich is also found in smaller numbers throughout Northern Europe, in countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
In the United States, van Emmerich is not a particularly common name, but there are a number of individuals who bear it. In the 2000 United States Census, there were barely over 50 people with the surname van Emmerich recorded living within the U.S.A., with most of them residing in the states of California, Michigan, and Washington.
Van Emmerich is also somewhat common in Canada, with the majority of bearers living in Ontario and British Columbia. In the 2016 Canadian Census, there were more than 140 people with the name reported living in Canada, a much higher number than in the U.S.
Due to increased immigration in the 20th and 21st centuries, the van Emmerich surname can also now be found in other parts of the world. Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and even Latin America now have individuals with the name van Emmerich.
Variations of the surname van Emmerich
Van Emmerich is a Dutch surname of German origin. It is also spelled as Van Emmrich and Van Emrich. Other variants of the name include:
- Emmerich
- Emeric
- Emerick
- Emrich
- Emrick
- Emricks
- Immrich
- Immig
- Emmorey
- Emory
- Emmerson
- Emmie
- Emmrick
- Emy
The first known recording of someone bearing the surname dates to the mid 17th century. This is one Jacob van Emmerick who is noted in the Dutch church books of the time.
Other surnames associated with the Van Emmerich surname are related, yet slightly different. This includes Emmrich and Emeric. These are derived from the German language, where the ‘c’ in the spelling was replaced with an ‘k’.
The immigrants bearing the Van Emmerich surname in the New World were mainly Dutch, German and Swiss. There were quite a few individuals who came to the United States bearing the name. Surnames associated with the van Emmerich surname, such as Emricson, Embry and Emberly, also started to emerge in America.
The surname van Emmerich is also found to some extent in the United Kingdom, due to German migration to the islands. The spelling with an ‘i’ at the end is also evident.
In conclusion, the core spelling of the surname is Van Emmerich, however, many alternative spellings exist as the name spread across the world. Variants are almost always derived from the original Dutch spelling.
Famous people with the name van Emmerich
- Roland Emmerich: German film director, screenwriter, and producer. Best known for his disaster film franchises, such as "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow".
- Paul von Emmerich: Austrian naval lieutenant who sailed around the world with an Austrian expedition between 1887-1888.
- Nicolaas Gerard van Emmerich: Dutch painter who is best known for his depictions of seascapes and landscapes.
- Klaas van Emmerik: Dutch physicist who developed a method for producing laser beams of various shapes and provided the framework for describing the mechanics of hydrodynamic surface waves.
- Jan van Emmerik: Dutch politician who was in office from 1996-1998 as a Member of the European Parliament.
- Nicolet van Emmerich: Dutch quantum physicist who was a professor at the Delft University of Technology.
- Stefan van Emmerich: German painter known primarily for his watercolor paintings of landscapes, cityscapes, and village scenes.
- Geert van Emmerik: Dutch composer and musicologist whose works focus on vocal and instrumental music from the late 16th century.
- Johan van Emmerick: Dutch politician who was in office from 1962-1981 as a Member of the Dutch House of Representatives.
- Ella van Emmerik: Dutch entrepreneur known for her work in the bio-based industry, especially for her paper and packaging company BottingProductions.