Show ContentsTrenkle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Trenkle family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, as hereditary surnames began to be adopted, names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Trenkle is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Trenkle was given to someone who lived in Franconia.

Early Origins of the Trenkle family

The surname Trenkle was first found in Franconia, where the name appeared as early as the 13th century, and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Trenkle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trenkle research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1533, 1652, 1655, 1711, 1749, 1783 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Trenkle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trenkle 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 Trenkle include Trenk, Trenck, Trencke, Traenck, Trenke, Trank, Tranke, Tranck, Trancke, Tranckner, Traenkel (Baden), Traenkler, Trenkel (Baden), Trenkle (Baden), Traenkner (Saxony), Trenkner (Saxony), Trenker, Drenker (Hamburg and many more.

Early Notables of the Trenkle family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trenkle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Trenkle migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Trenkle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christophel Trenkle, aged 48, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 [1]
  • Stephen Trenkle, aged 20, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 [1]


  1. 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)


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