The surname Nuppenau

[Shrdlu]

Bäck [Bèhk] means stream in Swedish.

[Viktor77]

Also, Viktor, it's not like regionally different etymologies with the same surface form can't exist. For example:

Der Name kann von der Berufsbezeichnung Bäcker abstammen, aber auch von jemandem, der an einem Bach (beck) wohnte. Eine Abstammung von einem Stonebaecker (Steinbäcker) ist ebenfalls möglich, desgleichen von Pech (bech) und (Metall-)Becken (ein Bader konnte auch als Becker bezeichnet werden, weil vor seinem Laden ein Messingbecken als Rasierschale hing). [...] Die Familiennamen Beck und Becke sind in Süddeutschland verbreitet als Varianten zu Becker. In Norddeutschland sind sie meist von der alten Bezeichnung Be(c)ke (‚Bach‘) abgeleitet.

And since the English Wikipedia doesn't go as much much into detail, let me translate:

The name may be derived from the professional designation 'baker', as well as from someone who used to live near a stream (beck). A derivation from a Stonebaecker (brick baker) is also possible, also from pitch (bech) and a (metal) bowl (a Bader ['barber'?] could also be called a Becker because a brass bowl for shaving hung down in front of his shop). [...] The surnames Beck and Becke are widespread variants of Becker in Southern Germany. In Northern Germany they are often derived from the old term Be(c)ke ('stream').

Interesting and yes, I understand, but Becker is a much more common name than Nuppenau. I know that intution like that can't be used to rule out possibilities, but that's why I said unlikely and not impossible.

Also regarding Becker, am I reading that write that Northern German Becker's are more likely to have their surname's origin in a toponym? My Becker line is almost exclusively southwestern, Aachen and the surrounding areas, does that mean my name is more likely to have an origin in baker or stonebaker, etc.?

[linguoboy]

Also regarding Becker, am I reading that write that Northern German Becker's are more likely to have their surname's origin in a toponym?

No, you've got it bass-ackwards. Beck as a term for "stream" is a northern form. (Note the unshifted consonant vis-à-vis Standard (High) German Bach.) As a toponymic surname, it is used unsuffixed. The usual term for "baker" there is Becker, which features an agent suffix borrowed from Latin -ariu(s).

Previously, the most common suffix for deriving agent nouns from verbs was derived from Germanic *-jôn. This caused geminisation of the preceding consonant and umlaut of the stem vowel. So *bakjôn > *bekkjôn, which with loss of the final syllable yields High German Beck. These forms held on better in the South, whereas in the North (and ultimately the standard language) they were soon replaced by alternative forms with -er.

My Becker line is almost exclusively southwestern, Aachen and the surrounding areas

Um, Viktor, have you ever actually looked at a map of Germany? Aachen is about as "southwest" as Eugene.

[Jipí]

According to maps I've seen, Becker is hugely common in Midwestern Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland¹), but it's very common throughout the rest of the country as well.

¹) I'd call that South already from my local perspective, but Linguoboy will probably kill me if I do cause it's not BaWü or Bavaria southern. Also, Middle-German speaking, not Upper German. (Where the North-South divide runs is a somewhat popular topic of debate among people from different corners of the country.)

[Viktor77]

My Hannover friend called Aachen southwestern so I just went with it and never thought to think twice about it.

[Astraios]

My religious friend just called gays sinful so I just went with it and never thought to think twice about it.


Because that works...

[Viktor77]

My religious friend just called gays sinful so I just went with it and never thought to think twice about it.


Because that works...

Because I am NOT from Germany, so if a German refers to something as located geographically somewhere, I'm going to flow with it until I'm corrected again. Geographical locations according to people living in the country and actual locations can differ quite a bit. People in Detroit call Saginaw up north, even though it's at the midpoint of the state.

[Astraios]

Because I am NOT religious, so if a Religious Person refers to something as sinful somehow, I'm going to flow with it until I'm corrected again.

Because that works...

[Pthagnar]

yes, it does. if you aren't religious then why do you have any strong opinions about what is and what isn't sinful? viktor is being sensible here.

[Viktor77]

Because I am NOT religious, so if a Religious Person refers to something as sinful somehow, I'm going to flow with it until I'm corrected again.

Because that works...

You are comparing apples to oranges. Where natives refer to something geographically and where it actually is are known to differ based on culture and whatnot. As I said, someone in south Michigan will call somewhere in mid Michigan north because culturally anything north of like Oakland County is north to them whereas to me, anything north of Bay City is north Michigan and to somewhere in Cheboygan, anything in the upper peninsula is north Michigan. The only way to learn these distinctions is to learn them from natives. Once you learn one, you learn more to fully understand the differences of POVs that exist.

[linguoboy]

Because I am NOT from Germany, so if a German refers to something as located geographically somewhere, I'm going to flow with it until I'm corrected again.

Consider yourself corrected.

According to maps I've seen, Becker is hugely common in Midwestern Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland¹), but it's very common throughout the rest of the country as well.

NB: "Midwestern" in American English means "having to do with the American Midwest". When talking about other countries, we would say "West Central" unless there's some generally-accepted local term (e.g. "West Midlands" for England).

(Where the North-South divide runs is a somewhat popular topic of debate among people from different corners of the country.)

Yeah, but you'd have to be some crazy Fishhead to identify it with the Benrather Linie. I don't have a problem with calling Saarland, Pfalz, or even most of Hessen "Süddeutschland", but someplace where the local greeting is "Jode Daach!"? Do spinnsch dodal!