Hendrick
A surname built on the old personal name Hendric, ultimately tied to Henry/Henrik and meaning a descendant of that given name.
The #4,441 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,651 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name Hendrick is generally understood as a surname from the medieval personal name Hendric, a form related to Henry and Henrik. In the historical sources, it is treated as an old imported name from the Low Countries rather than a native English place-name. Some Irish records also show Hendrick as an anglicized form connected with Gaelic surname forms, so in practice the name may have more than one historical pathway.
History
English and Dutch bearers of Hendrick and Hendricks appear in older records, and 19th-century surname writers regarded them as earlier imports rather than modern immigrants. The name is also found in Irish surname traditions, where it can be linked to anglicized Gaelic forms. Related surnames include Hendry, Hender, Henderson, Herrick, and Hendrickson.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books specifically note that Hendrick and Hendricks were already established in the London directory before newer continental spellings turned up there later.
From the historical record
“years since. HENDRICK. HENDRICKS. HEN- DRIE. HENDRY. Hendric, an ancient personal name. HENDY. Gentle, polite. Halliwell. HENE. See Henn. HENEAGE. Sir Robert de Hcneage was in Lincolnshire, temp. William Rufus. I find no locality so called.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom