Henriksen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Henriksen comes from Prussia, a historic region that originally encompassed the coastal lands of the southeast Baltic, but over time expanded to include much of Poland and the majority of Germany. In pre-medieval times, these Prussians used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames so that they would remain distinct from the many others with the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from", which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Henriksen was a name for some one lived in many places throughout Prussia. The surname Henriksen 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 Henriksen family

The surname Henriksen 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 Henriksen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henriksen 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 Henriksen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henriksen Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Henriksen 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 Henriksen family

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

Henriksen Ranking

In the United States, the name Henriksen is the 12,412^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Henriksen migration to the United States +

The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Henriksens to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Henriksen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lars Henriksen, aged 43, who arrived in New York, NY in 1869 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Henriksen (post 1700) +

Lance Henriksen (b. 1940), American actor, best known for his work in the television series Millennium (1996-1999) and The X-Files (1999)
Stephanie Henriksen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1996 3
Arthur F. Henriksen, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964 3
Søren Henriksen (b. 1963), former Danish cricketer
Tony Tim Henriksen (b. 1973), former Danish footballer
Trond Børge Henriksen (b. 1964), Norwegian football coach and former player
Vera Margrethe Henriksen (1927-2016), née Roscher Lund, Norwegian novelist, playwright, and non-fiction writer
Kim Jan Henriksen (b. 1960), also known as Kimo, Danish Esperantist singer-musician
Kjell Henriksen (1938-1996), Norwegian scientist, professor at the University of Tromsø and researcher with a special interest in the polar lights
Kristian "Svarten" Henriksen (1911-2004), Norwegian footballer and coach
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html