Steinke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The long and noble heritage behind the name of Steinke first began in medieval Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Steinke family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Steinke literally means "stone" 1 and was an occupational name for a stone cutter. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word stein, meaning stone. In some cases the name may be topographical in nature and derive from the fact the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or rock.

Early Origins of the Steinke family

The surname Steinke was first found in Austria, in the cities of Berne and Neuchatel, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in regional political struggles for power. They branched into many houses in Austria, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Steinke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steinke research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1796, 1809, 1810, 1820, 1838, 1863 and 1935 are included under the topic Early Steinke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steinke 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 Steinke include Steiner, Steinert, Steinertz, Steinerth, Steinere, Stein, Steine and many more.

Early Notables of the Steinke family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steinke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Steinke Ranking

In the United States, the name Steinke is the 7,365^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Steinke migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Steinke were

Steinke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis Steinke, who landed in America in 1857 3
William Steinke, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 3
Julius Steinke, who arrived in Arkansas in 1890 3

Steinke migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Steinke Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Carl Steinke, aged 34, who landed in Quebec in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Steinke (post 1700) +

Judy Steinke, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996 4
Frederick F. Steinke, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2007 4
Eldon Steinke, American Republican politician, Member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1949 4

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"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, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html