Barnekow family

The Barnekow family is a medieval German noble family originating from Mecklenburg and Pommerania. Though the original Mecklenburg branch died out around 1600, Danish, Swedish, and German lines of the family still exist.

The family shares its name with the present-day municipality of Barnekow in Germany. The etymology of the name Barnekow has Wendish origins: "Baran" meaning ram, "ek" for the diminutive form, and "ow" referring to a place.