Surname Nellehsen - Meaning and Origin
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Nellehsen: What does the surname Nellehsen mean?
The last name Nellehsen is of German origin and derives from the personal name Nele. Nele is derived from the Old Saxon name Nel and is related to the Old High German name Neilan. This name is derived from Niwelan which is a combination of Niwe, meaning “new”, and lan, meaning “land”. Therefore, Nele was likely originally used as a descriptive nickname for someone who had recently acquired a piece of land or who had been transplanted from another area.
The first recorded spelling of the family name Nellehsen was documented in the year 1619 when a non-noble named Nele Weine was recorded in the land registers of Germany. Over time, the name evolved into the modern spelling Nellehsen.
Nellehsen can be found throughout Germany today, but is especially concentrated in the Lower Saxony region of the country. People with the Nellehsen last name are likely descended from the Weines, Bartschs, Duers, Pencks, Abeckens, and Almfords from Lower Saxony. These families were mainly peasantry and worked in agriculture, but some also served in the military.
Throughout history, the Nellehsen lineage has likely stayed in the same villages since their origin in the 1600s. Even today, many people with the Nellehsen family name can be found living in the same region.
Order DNA origin analysisNellehsen: Where does the name Nellehsen come from?
Nellehsen is primarily a German surname found mainly in contemporary Germany. Records show that Nellehsen is most commonly found in the northern states of Germany such as Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. The name is also found in smaller numbers in the region of North-Rhine Westphalia, as well as Bavaria. It is likely that the name originated in the north, possibly in the Low German language, or perhaps crossed over from nearby Denmark or Holland.
Outside of Germany, the Nellehsen name can be found in significant numbers in Australia and the United States. In Australia, the name is most prevalent in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. In the United States, the surname is mainly found in the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, in addition to a small number of other states.
Interestingly, records in the United States indicate that those with the Nellehsen surname are much more likely to be of German descent than Danish or Dutch. This lends more evidence that the name originated in Germany and spread mainly through emigration in the 19th century and subsequent generations.
Overall, the Nellehsen surname remains relatively rare, but is strongly rooted in the culture and history of Germany. The name persists in the States, and can be found in much higher numbers in some regions of Germany.
Variations of the surname Nellehsen
Nellehsen is a German occupational surname that denotes 'Millwright' and is derived from the Middle High German 'nenelhuser' meaning 'little house', making Nellehsen a derivation of the name Muller (Miller), which means 'miller of flour'.
Nellehsen is likely the most common spelling of this surname, but there are some other variants of the original spelling. These include Nellehusen, Nellhausen, Nellhousen and Nuhlhausen. In some cases, the name might also appear as Nellehus, Nellhous or Nellhaus.
In the United States, the surname is often Anglicized to 'Miller', a name of similar origin. Some people bearing the Nellehsen name in the United States may also spell it as 'Millhouse', which is simply an alternate spelling of 'Millerhouse'.
It is also not uncommon for the Nellehsen name to be mistakenly transcribed as 'Nelmsen', 'Nulmsen', 'Nulmhouse' or 'Nolmsen', as a result of mis-spelling. Although all of these spellings are considered to have the same origin, the full name should be spelt Nellehsen to remain true to its original German roots.
There are also some derived surnames that broke off from Nellehsen and adopted as distinct surnames of their own over time. These include names such as Nelehsen, Neumelhuser and Niemüller, all of which have a similar meaning to Nellehsen but have distinct spelling variations.
Famous people with the name Nellehsen
- Gitte Nellehsen: Danish journalist, author, and food writer
- Carl Nellehsen: musician and artist known for creating modern interpretations of classical music
- Theodore Nellehsen: Swedish-American landscape architect and designer
- Elisabeth Nellehsen: former Danish Minister of Culture and Education
- Søren Nellehsen: Danish entrepreneur, former member of the board at IKEA, and founding partner of Nordic Capital
- Hans Nellehsen: German balloonist and aeronautics pioneer
- Friedrich Nellehsen: German-born American engineer who worked on computers of the Apollo Program
- Frederik Nellehsen: Danish painter and illustrator
- MJ Nellehsen: American actor and voice-over artist
- Gunner Nellehsen: Danish professional footballer