Origin of Tunink?

Question:After me rambling about my family tree my fiancee is curious about his last name. Nobody in his family really have any reference to their history (sad). Their last name is Tunink and we are pretty sure it is german. Most of them are in Nebraska now but that is about all we know. Can anybody help us out with origin/history/meaning? :) thanks

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: After me rambling about my family tree my fiancee is curious about his last name. Nobody in his family really have any reference to their history (sad). Their last name is Tunink and we are pretty sure it is german. Most of them are in Nebraska now but that is about all we know. Can anybody help us out with origin/history/meaning? :) thanks

In 1880 there are just 6 in the USA, even with "Exact Spelling" turned off:

1. John TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Self Gender: Male Birth: <1845> HOL

2. Maria TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Wife Gender: Female Birth: <1848> PRU

3. John TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Son Gender: Male Birth: <1877> IL

4. Margareth TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Dau Gender: Female Birth: <1878> IL

5. Henry TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Son Gender: Male Birth: <1880> IL

6. Fred TUNINK - 1880 United States Census / Illinois
Other Gender: Male Birth: <1849> IL

"PRU" is Prussia, which is now part of Germany and Poland. "Hol" is where they wear wooden shoes and grow tulips.

The 1880 site is
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/f...

In 1930 the population has boomed - 23 of them, with that exact spelling:

Name, Home in 1930, (City, County, State), Estimated birth year Birthplace Relation

Ben H Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1884, Illinois, Head
Catherine Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1891, Wife
Bennie E Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1911, Son
Cecelia H Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1913, Daughter
John R Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1915, Son
Marie A Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1917, Daughter
Joseph H Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1919, Son
Frances A Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1926, Son
Dolora K Tunink, Cedar, Antelope, NE, abt 1929, Daughter

Barney Tunink, Clara Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1886, Nebraska, Head
Clara Tunink, Barney Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1890, Wife
Andrew Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1911, Son
Alwina Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1913, Daughter
Stella Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1915, Daughter
Edward Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1917, Son
Serlewis Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1921, Son
Agata Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1923, Son
Alfonse Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1926, Son
Ritta Tunink, Butte, Boyd, NE, abt 1929, Daughter

Susanna Tunink, North Branch, Boone, NE, abt 1860 Holland Mother

Cecelia Tunink, Petersburg, Boone, NE, abt 1913 Nebraska, Servant

Elizabeth Tunink, Petersburg, Boone, NE, abt 1886, New York Head
Eleanor Tunink, Elizabeth Petersburg, Boone, NE, abt 1920, Daughter

Notes

Susanna b. 1860 is either a mother-in-law or she re-married, because
she is living with Gerhard Rustman, 37 and Agnes F Rustman, 32

Cecelia the servant is living with a family named Turner. It was
quite common for young unmarried women to hire out back then for a
year or three.

Notice the mother is b. Holland. The distinction between Holland and Germany was slight at some points in history.

With what we call "Soundex" there are 15,000, but many are false; "Timmons" and "Thmington", for instance.

The 1930 was from my census subscription. Your local LDS church's Family History Center probably has access to census images, if you get bitten by the bug.

http://www.last-names.net/surname.asp

Hi use the web sites below, they may just give you a idea, all are free to use.

If you wish to use a subscription site then use

www.ancestry.com

good luck and good hunting

Just cause his last name is German doesn't make him German. My last name is Scottish (My Last Name's Duffield) but I am only 1/16 Scottish! lol. I'm mostly Hispanic and French though.

Student Researcher is easy to use, fast, and offered me everything I needed, just type the "Author's" name and or the "Title" into the search engine. You can type in a “Key” word or two, that will help also. Oh yeah, it’s FREE

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/886...

http://www.studentresearcher.com/search/