Surname Lenartz - Meaning and Origin
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Lenartz: What does the surname Lenartz mean?
The last name Lenartz is a German and Dutch name, originating from the area of today's Netherlands and Germany. Translated from Old German, the meaning of Lenartz is "free man of the court". This was usually indicative of a person who was either a member of one particular court or someone who had been appointed by a court to carry out a certain task.
In the Middle Ages, a freeman of the court was generally someone of standing, considered more privileged than a peasant, but not having the same social status as a nobleman. All over the world, the Lenartz surname is found primarily in families with Germanic heritage and roots.
Since the age of migration, many Lenartz families have moved to other parts of Europe, and then across the Atlantic to North America. In the United States, the Lenartz surname is most common in areas where German immigrants have settled. In the past, Lenartz was typically an occupational surname; it is likely that the Lenartz family originally held the position of juror or bailiff in a court.
The Lenartz name today is a proud testament to the families who lived during medieval Germany and the Netherlands, and whose decisions helped shape the world we know today. It is a reflection of the courage, strength, and determination of those families to thrive in a difficult time. Despite their roots, people with the Lenartz name are still to be found all over the world, having taken their place in nearly all cultures, countries, and walks of life.
Order DNA origin analysisLenartz: Where does the name Lenartz come from?
The last name Lenartz is most commonly found in Germany today. It is a German surname originating as a habitational name meaning "from Lenartz" or "dweller near a meadow belonging to the family Lenartz." According to Lexikon der Familiennamen, the Lenartz name has its most frequent distribution in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The name is also present in smaller numbers in other nearby states, such as Hesse, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria.
A phonetic variant of the name Lenartz, Lanartz, is also occasionally found in the Dutch province of Limburg. This version of the name likely has its origins in Germany, as many German families relocated to the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries. As such, the Lenartz name could be found in Dutch records dating back to the late 1500's.
In the United States, the name Lenartz is not particularly common. It is estimated that less than 500 Americans are currently using this surname, with the majority of those located on the East Coast or in Midwestern states. A much larger concentration of Lenartz family members is found in Argentina, where records show a large group of immigrants from Germany with the Lenartz name arriving in the early 1900's.
Overall, the last name Lenartz is primarily associated with German speaking areas of the world, particularly North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, but small numbers of Lenartz family members can also be found in the Netherlands, the United States, and Argentina.
Variations of the surname Lenartz
The surname Lenartz has multiple variants, spellings, and related surnames. The variations of the surname Lenartz include Lenartz, Lenerts, Leners, Leinrads, Lieners, Lienarts, Lehenarts, and Lienarts. Common spellings of Lenartz include Lenerz, Lehenetts, Lenarts, and Lenertz.
Lenartz is a very unusual German surname derived from the ancient personal name Leonard. Leonard is the vernacular form of the personal name Leonardus, which is a combination of the Germanic elements levon, meaning “lion”, and hard, meaning “strong, brave”. Leonardus also became a popular Christian name, especially in medieval times, as St Leonard of Noblac was a popular French saint.
The surname Lenartz appeared in numerous documents such as church and census records dating back to the1600s. It was a popular surname during the 1700s and 1800s. Today the Lenartz surname is mostly found in the area near Würzburg, Bavaria, in Germany.
Related surnames of Lenartz include Lenart, Leonard, Lehnert, Lenhard, and Lenhart. Lenartz is mainly an occupational surname and was often given to someone who worked as a "levonhert" or "leonhard," which is an ironer of linen. Variations in spelling of the surname, Lenartz, over time include Leonard, Lenart, Lehnert, Lenhard, Lenhart, Lenortz, Lenertz, Lanartz, Lenartz, Lienartz, and Lienarts.
Lenartz has a traditionally Germanic origin which has been preserved in Mo-Europa and the various forms derived from it. Though the meanings of the surname vary dependent upon the particular spelling, Lenartz has been a steady surname throughout history.
Famous people with the name Lenartz
- Robert Lenartz: German author, journalist, and musician
- Marcel Lenartz: German publisher, editor, and book author
- Henry S. Lenartz: American writer and actor
- Pina Lenartz: German politician and Member of the European Parliament
- Maria Lenartz: German broadcaster and radio speaker
- Anna Lenartz: German author and social worker
- Lea-Marie Lenartz: German actress
- Ernest Lenartz: German poet, playwright, and author
- Anett Lenartz: German actress
- Jean-Basile Lenartz: French Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church
- John Lenartz: American sculptor
- Rick Lenartz: American actor and writer
- Alex Lenartz: German tennis player
- Elmar Lenartz: German football coach and player
- Joana Lenartz: German TV presenter
- Rüdiger Lenartz: German legal scholar
- Simon Lenartz: German actor, writer, and comedian
- Julia Lenartz: German actress
- Sepp Lenartz: German ice hockey player
- Svea Lenartz: German model and actress