Jonker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished German surname Jonker is derived from the Middle High German word "juncherre," meaning "a young noble, not yet knighted." This term was often applied to a young man serving at court who would soon be knighted, and it is likely that the term evolved from nickname to surname, and was then passed down along a family line.

Early Origins of the Jonker family

The surname Jonker was first found in various regions of Germany, and several branches emerged independently during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Burchardt Junker, listed in the Furstenbergisches Urkundenbuch in 1295. The young Jonker family was instrumental during this early period, playing an important role in the development of medieval society.

Early History of the Jonker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jonker research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1295, 1373 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Jonker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jonker Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Junker, Junkher, Juncker, Junkers, Junckherre and others.

Early Notables of the Jonker family

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

Jonker Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Jonker is the 72^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,649 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Jonker is ranked the 557^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,476 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Jonker family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Barbara Junker, who settled in Georgia in 1733; Friedrich Juncker, who emigrated from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania in 1764; Caspar Juncker, who settled in Virginia after fighting in the Revolutionary War.

Contemporary Notables of the name Jonker (post 1700) +

Frederick H. Jonker, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1940 3

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html