Henning is a given name and surname of Germanic origin, primarily used in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. As a first name, it is a diminutive of Henrik, itself a Scandinavian and German form of Henry. The root name Henry derives from the Germanic name Heimirich, meaning "home ruler", composed of the elements heim ("home") and rih ("ruler"). Through this chain, Henning carries the underlying meaning of "home ruler." Etymology As a surname, Henning originated in East Prussia and is derived from Henneke, a medieval diminutive of Johannes (John). The Low German suffix -ing meant "son of," so the name originally signified "son of John." The name is indigenous to North German regions such as Mecklenburg, Hannover, Hamburg, Holstein, and Pomerania, especially around the Baltic Sea towns of Stralsund and Greifswald, which were part of Denmark until the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Between 1300 and 1500, it was used as a nickname for "the Son of John" and was common among noblemen and knights, such as Henning (Johannes Older) recorded near Stralsund in 1290. Related Names and Variants Feminine forms include Henrike in German. Other linguistic variants include Henrik (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Slovene), Endika (Basque), Enric (Catalan), Jindřich and Hynek (Czech), and Jindra (Czech). The patronymic surname Henningsen ("son of Henning") is a Danish descendant. Meaning: "Home ruler" (through Henrik and Henry) Origin: Germanic (as a first name); Low German (as a surname, “son of John”) Type: Diminutive; Patronymic surname Usage regions: Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Baltic region