Barnekow is an Old Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 noble family name, originally from Rügen

Rügen

Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...

. The line later split in a Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 and Danish branch, when Scania

Scania

Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...

 became Swedish, following the Treaty of Roskilde

Treaty of Roskilde

The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...

 in 1658.

Barnekow is first mentioned in 1307, when Ulrik Barnekow is witness to a treaty between the King of Denmark Erik Menved

Eric VI of Denmark

Eric VI Menved was King of Denmark and a son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg.He became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered 20 November by unknown assailants...

 and Henrik of Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...

.

Earlier references are found (familysearch.org) of Alvericus de BERNEKOWE born in Barnekow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany in about 1186. Ulrich von Barnekow above, was the son of Hinricus de BARNEKOWE, who was the son of Alvericus de BERNEKOWE.

A German noble line exists as well.

Barnekow has Wendish

Sorbs

Sorbs are a Western Slavic people of Central Europe living predominantly in Lusatia, a region on the territory of Germany and Poland. In Germany they live in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony. They speak the Sorbian languages - closely related to Polish and Czech - officially recognized and...

 etymology: "Baran" for ram, "ek" for diminutive form, and "ow" referring to a place.

The whole family-line features an extensive number of personalities, including but not limited to:

• Hans Barnekow (? -1559), diplomat and member of the Privy Council of Denmark.
• Christian Barnekow
  Christian Barnekow (1556-1612)
  Christian Barnekow was a Danish noble man, extensive traveller and diplomat.-Biography:Barnekow was rich by birth and owned several estates, including Birkholm , Tølløse, Vittskövle Castle in Scania and a farm in Copenhagen.He spent nearly 16 years of his early life travelling throughout Europe...
  
   (1556-1612), extensive traveller and royal diplomat of the King of Denmark
• Christian Barnekow (1626-1666), traveller and commissioner in Skåneland.
• Wilken Zacharias Barnekow (1730-1784)
• Adolph Gotthardt Joachim Barnekow (1805-1839)
• Christian Barnekow (1837-1913), composer
• Raven Freiherr von Barnekow
  Raven Freiherr von Barnekow
  Leutnant Raven Freiherr von Barnekow was a World War I flying ace credited with eleven aerial victories. He went on to serve during World War II.-World War I service:...
  
   (1897–1941), World War I flying ace, Luftwaffe General
• Janet Barnekow, First Miss Maple Heights, Ohio