A surname with Russiona/Slovanic origins which has been recorded with many spellings including Nemchin, Nemchinov (Russian), Nimchuk (Ukraine), Niemiec (Polish), Nemec (Czech), Niemetz, Nimitz, Niemsch (German), Niemiec (Jewish), Nemet and Nemeth (Hungarian). It is ethnic from the word nemchin describing a German or a German speaker. The intrinsic dislike of foreigners is not just a British trait, it is one shared rightly or wrongly with most nations, and especially ones who have suffered from continual foreign invasions of one sort or another. This is shown in the origination of the name in that nemchin is ultimately from the Old Slavonic word nemoi which means dumb. This was used in the sense of being a barbarian and unable to speak properly. This could have been an ethnic term for a Norseman or Viking. These people had very fair hair and were not very popular with the Anglo-Saxons.
by laknight February 2, 2010
by Brian Bjorn August 29, 2007