Minnick
A Pennsylvania German surname, likely a phonetic spelling of a German name such as Münch or a similar form.
The #4,679 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,726 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Minnick appears in Pennsylvania German contexts and is probably an Americanized spelling of a German surname. The historical note equates Minnick with forms like Munch/Münch, suggesting the name was reshaped in English spelling and pronunciation after immigration. Because the surviving evidence is brief and indirect, the exact German source form is not fully certain.
History
The name is especially associated with Pennsylvania German families and is found among surnames that were present in Pennsylvania before the American Revolution. In American records it settled into several spellings, with Minnick becoming one of the established English forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 1902 study of Pennsylvania German surnames specifically listed Minnick among names that sound distinctly Pennsylvania German in American usage.
From the historical record
“for them. Such, among others, are Brubaker, Landis, Hartzell, Yerkes, Hershey, Hoover, Long. In recent years I have found in magazine fiction the names of Spaugler and Minnick, which cannot be anything but Pennsylvania German names. 2 In making the following lists I have consulted directories, church records…”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names