Surname Rankers - Meaning and Origin
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Rankers: What does the surname Rankers mean?
The surname Rankers is of German origin and is derived from the German word "ranke," which means "rank or line." This surname was likely used as an occupational name for someone who held a high position in a particular line or rank. Rankers may also have been used to denote a family that was well known or highly respected in its particular line of work.
The Rankers surname is found primarily in Northern Germany and may be linked to the Germanic tribes that inhabited the area in the early Middle Ages. The Rankers family name is believed to be of nobility or of a high-ranking or affluent class, based on the etymological root of its name.
The Rankers surname has an interesting history in Germany. The name is associated with some of the earliest family coats of arms in Germany, dating as far back as the 12th century. It is speculated that these families may have been descended from the Franconians, a German tribal group whose influence was predominant in the early Middle Ages.
The Rankers surname is still found among millions of German-speaking people and has spread to many countries around the world. Today, those with the Rankers surname can be found in Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisRankers: Where does the name Rankers come from?
The Rankers surname can be found in many countries around the world today. In Europe, it is found primarily in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Denmark. In the United States, it is primarily found in states such as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. It is also frequently found in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and other English-speaking countries. It is not particularly common in other parts of the world, although it may occasionally be found in countries with emigrant populations from Europe.
The origins of the Rankers surname are likely to have come from the Germanic words "ranke", which mean "twig" or "shoot", referring to someone who lived on a small plot of land. It could also have been an occupational name for someone whose job was to gather, tie, and sell firewood. Alternatively, the name might have derived from the location of a person's home or from a nickname given to someone with a distinctive, intense, or harsh voice.
The spelling of the surname has changed over time, with Rankers variants such as Ranker, Rancker, and Rancke. Rankers is one of the more common surnames today, but it is far from the most popular. Today, this surname is most frequently found in North America and Europe. It has spread to other parts of the world largely due to immigration, but remains more common in areas with many roots tracing back to the German language.
Variations of the surname Rankers
The surname Rankers can be spelled in different ways, such as Ranchers, Raunkers, and Renkers. It has variants such as Rangen, Rankin, Rankins, and Ranke, which could also be spelled Rankes, Rankiss, Ranky, or Rankye, amongst other spellings.
The surname Rankers is believed to have originated in Germany and the Netherlands, stemming from the Middle English word “rauncors,” meaning a “rogue” or “trickster.” The surname could have been adopted by families who adopted occupations related to horses, such as horse ranchers, wranglers, and wranglers for law enforcement.
Rangen is a variation of the surname believed to have originated in Bavaria, a region of Germany. Rankin is a concise form of Rangen, and may have been initially adopted in Ireland and Scotland as immigrants from Germany settled in those countries.
The surname Renkers is a Dutch variant, thought to have originated from the Middle Dutch word “rencker,” which means horse trainer or breeder. Rankes is another variation of Rankers that is thought to have been adopted in Scotland, while Rankiss and Ranky are believed to be variants used in England.
Overall, Rankers is a surname that has many variations, spellings, and origins, but most derived from the Middle English and Dutch words associated with horses.
Famous people with the name Rankers
- Tom Rankers: Former Olympic decathlete who won a silver medal at the Barcelona Summer Olympics.
- Jean-Luc Rankers: French actor and director of theatre, film, and television.
- Alexandra Rankers: Canadian businesswoman and hockey player, awarded the Canadian Championship Player of the Year award in 2010.
- Tina Rankers: Dutch chef, restaurateur, TV show host, and cooking book author.
- William Rankers: British painter who exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1820 to 1846.
- Dan Rankers: Award-winning American film and TV actor.
- John Rankers: American professional hockey player, drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2002.
- David Rankers: British writer, winner of multiple word prizes, such as the British Book Award for Fiction in 2009.
- Philip Rankers: Scottish banker and investor, founder and CEO of the first London-based investment firm to focus solely on the stock market.
- Olav Rankers: Norwegian politician who served as a cabinet minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party between 1892 and 1904.