Show ContentsHenricks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The historic German region of Prussia was the original home of the name Henricks. Henricks was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, which often used the prefix "von," meaning "of" or "from," in some cases a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common type of German hereditary surname. Henricks was a name for someone who lived in many places throughout Prussia. The surname Henricks was created from the widespread and popular Christian name Heinrich. According to some, the name comes from heim, and rich, meaning "ruler of the home."

Early Origins of the Henricks family

The surname Henricks was first found in Prussia, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs. The name became popular from its use among many Germanic Emperors and nobles. Most noted among these were Heinrich I (der Vogler) and Heinrich II, both of whom are also holy figures. Others include Heinrich VII of Luxemburg and Prince Heinrich the Lion of Brunswick. Individual bearers of the family name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Heinrich Heymrich of Kassel in 1368.

Early History of the Henricks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henricks research. Another 331 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1654, 1738, 1760, 1781, 1805 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Henricks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henricks Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Henricks include Heinrich, Heinreich, Heinrick, Heinricke, Heinrichs, Heinritz, Heimrich, Heimreich, Heimrick, Heimricke, Heimrichs, Heimritz, Hinerich, Hinerick, Hinereich, Hinericke, Hinerichs, Hinreich, Hinrich, Hinrick, Hinricke, Hinrichs, Hinritz, Hennerich, Hennericks, Hennereich and many more.

Early Notables of the Henricks family

More information is included under the topic Early Henricks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henricks Ranking

In the United States, the name Henricks is the 14,600th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Henricks migration to the United States +

Much of German history has been shaped by the state of Prussia. It was an enduring military power until after the Second World War. At that time, the state was abolished altogether and its land divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. While some Prussians were content to remain in those countries, others moved away, many of them migrating to North America. They entered the United States mostly through Philadelphia, moving on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others went to Canada, settling on the prairies and in the province of Ontario. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Henricks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Floris Henricks, who landed in Maryland in 1679 [2]
  • John Henricks, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 [2]
Henricks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anthy Henricks, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Henricks (post 1700) +

  • Terence Thomas "Tom" Henricks (b. 1952), former NASA Astronaut with over 1,000 hours in space [3]
  • Peder M. Henricks, American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 63rd District, 1901-02 [4]
  • Olaf Henricks, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to U.S. Congress from the Virgin Islands, 1996 [4]
  • John "Jon" Malcolm Henricks (b. 1935), Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer, inductee to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1973)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Terence Henricks. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/henricks.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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