Henke
A North German pet form of Heinrich, meaning “little Henry” or “son of Henry.”
The #4,690 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,807 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Henke is generally understood as a shortened, affectionate form of Heinrich (Henry). The ending -ke is a common Low German diminutive, so the name originally meant something like “little Heinrich” or “Henry’s child.” Some older scholarship also connects similar forms with other short Germanic names such as Hanno or Henno, but Heinrich is the usual explanation for Henke.
History
The surname is especially associated with northern German naming patterns, where short pet forms often became hereditary family names. Historical name books list Henke alongside related forms such as Henneke, Henkel, and Heinicke, all showing the same diminutive pattern. Outside the German-speaking world, it can also appear in Dutch or immigrant records, sometimes preserving the older short-form spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same diminutive pattern produced a whole family of surnames built from Heinrich, including Henke, Henneke, Heinicke, and Henkel.
From the historical record
“Patronymikalform neben -ing die Silbe -er, vermittelt durch die Kolonatsnamen, die, vom ersten Besitzer entlehnt, an dem Gnindstück haften blieben und auf die Nachfolger über- gingen, 2. B. in Hakedahl: 1488 Eenke Druden, 1523 Henke Druding, 1538 de (= der) Drudener — jetzt Drüner. "Während man aber bei „Henke…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen