Surname Backhuus - Meaning and Origin
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Backhuus: What does the surname Backhuus mean?
The last name Backhuus is German in origin and is derived from the combination of two words; ‘backe’ meaning ‘baker’ and ‘haus’, meaning ‘house’. It was likely a name given to a family of bakers, commonly found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe in the Middle Ages.
It is likely that the Backhuus family originally lived in or around a bakery. A bakery is an essential part of any community as it provides a quality source of bread as well as other treats. As such, the Backhuus family would’ve been highly regarded in the town or village. This is likely to have been a major contributing factor for the adoption of this surname.
The presence of the last name has been recorded in Germany since the 1500s, with it being featured in records from the region of Hesse, now known as Hesse-Nassau. Throughout the following centuries, the Backhuus family spread around Germany and other parts of Europe, most likely through migration and inter-marriage.
Additionally, members of the Backhuus family emigrated to areas including the United States and Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries. As such, you can now find members of the Backhuus family living in many corners of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisBackhuus: Where does the name Backhuus come from?
The surname Backhuus is mainly found today in northern Germany, particularly in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Lower Saxony. It may also be found in certain parts of the Netherlands and in countries with a large population of people of German descent, such as the United States, Canada, and Argentina.
It is stated that the surname has its origin in the Germanic personal name Back, with its diminutive forms Bäcklein or Buak. The combination of these two forms would then have formed Backhuus, meaning "little Back's house". It is thought to have been acquired as a name to denote someone living by a small building or enclosure at the sign of Back.
The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Dirch Backhus, which was dated 1553, in the "Linear Book of the Low German Menage", Holstein.
This name can also be spelled in many forms, such as Backhues, Baxhuys, Bakhuis, Backhoes, Backgeis, Bakkeus, Bakhous, Bakhuijs, and Bakhuizen, among others.
Variations of the surname Backhuus
The surname Backhuus is of German, Dutch, and Scandinavian origin. It is derived from the Middle High German ‘bachhus’, meaning a house near a brook or stream.
Variants of this surname include Backhus, Backhaus, Backhouse, Bakhaus, Bakhus, Bakhouse, Bakhuis, Bakhuys, Bekhaus, Bacchus, Bachhus, Bachhues, and Bachouse. It is found mainly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, with a few other spread cases in Eastern and Central Europe.
Other spellings of the surname include Bächhaus, Bächhuis, Bachhuys, and Bäckhuus. In some cases, local dialects may have altered the spelling of the surname even further.
Secondary surnames with the same origin as Backhuus include Beckhus, Bakhuysen, Bakhusen, Bakhuizen, Bakhausen, and Bakhaus. These are all feminized derivatives of the original surname.
The only surname which is unrelated to that of Backhuus is Backhausen, which is an alternate spelling of the German name Bockhausen. This name is thought to have originated in Northern Germany from the Middle High German 'bockhus', meaning a postern gate, or a back door.
Famous people with the name Backhuus
- Bengt Backhuus: a Swedish long-distance runner
- Caya Backhuus: Dutch rower
- Gerrit Backhuus: Dutch soccer coach
- Henk Backhuus: Dutch speed skater
- Jasper Backhuus: Dutch rower
- Johan Backhuus: Dutch equestrian athlete
- Karoline Backhuus: Danish professional beach volleyball player
- Nicky Backhuus- Dutch speed skater
- Roland Backhuus: Dutch rower
- Wilma Backhuus: Dutch speed skater