Where Does the Reinking Surname Come From?

It is easy to miss Reinking in an index if you only search for Reinke. The name is usually explained as “A Low German pet form of Reinhard”.

• 1,032 Americans were listed as Reinking in the 2010 census.
• Reinking is built on the same root as Reinke, with the ending -ing.
• The same family of names includes Reinken.
• Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.

Reinking coat of arms

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Reinke surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Reinking family name pack.