Find out how popular the last name Ihnken is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ihnken.

Ihnken, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ihnken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ihnken in America

Ihnken is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ihnken surname appeared 111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ihnken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ihnken to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ihnken

The surname IHNKEN is believed to have originated in the northern German region of Ostfriesland, located along the North Sea coast. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was likely derived from the Frisian word "ihnk," meaning "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the church records of Dornum, a town in Ostfriesland, where a certain Dirk Ihnken was mentioned in an entry from 1591. Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Inken, Inke, Ihnke, and Incker.

In the 17th century, the IHNKEN name can be found in various historical documents from the region, such as land records and tax rolls. One notable individual from this period was Hans Ihnken, born in 1632 in Wittmund, Ostfriesland, who was a prominent landowner and farmer.

As the name spread beyond its place of origin, it appeared in other parts of northern Germany, as well as neighboring regions of the Netherlands and Denmark. In the late 18th century, a branch of the IHNKEN family settled in the city of Hamburg, where Johann Friedrich Ihnken, born in 1754, became a respected merchant and ship owner.

Another notable figure was Hinrich Ihnken, born in 1802 in Norden, Ostfriesland, who was a pioneering educator and reformer in the field of primary education. He authored several influential works on teaching methods and advocated for improved educational opportunities for children from all social classes.

In the 19th century, the IHNKEN name found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One such individual was Carl Ihnken, born in 1842 in Aurich, Ostfriesland, who immigrated to the United States in the 1870s and became a successful farmer in Iowa.

While the IHNKEN surname may not be among the most widespread globally, it remains a significant part of the cultural heritage of northern Germany and the Frisian regions, with its origins deeply rooted in the history and traditions of this coastal area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ihnken

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ihnken.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ihnken was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ihnken has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ihnken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ihnken, please contact us.

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