HedgeEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived by a hedge, Middle English hegg(e). In the early Middle Ages, hedges were not merely dividers between fields, but had an important defensive function when planted around a settlement or enclosure.
HedrickGerman (Americanized) This name has a very obscure origin. With the name being of German origin but with notably more people living in England. It means, "Combatant ruler/Ruler of the heathland
HedströmSwedish Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and ström "stream, river".
HeeDanish, Norwegian, Dutch A Danish habitational name from any of several places named from a word meaning ‘shining’ or ‘clear’, referencing a river.... [more]
HeenanOld Irish Thought to be a nickname or metonymic, and to owe its derivation from the early Gaelic word ean meaning a "bird". The derivation is from the ancient name O'hEeanchain, which loosely translates as The descendant of the son of the Bird.
HegaziArabic (Egyptian) Alternate transcription of Arabic حجازي (see Hijazi). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
HegazyArabic (Egyptian) Alternate transcription of Arabic حجازي (see Hijazi). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
HegdeKannada Hegde means the Headman of the village. Hegde or Heggade Pergade is a surname from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kasargod district of Kerala and Karnataka in India. It is found amongst Hindus of the Bunt community, Jain bunt community, Havyaka Brahmins, Vokkaligas in Karnataka.... [more]
HeidenreichGerman From the medieval personal name Heidenrich, ostensibly composed of the elements heiden 'heathen', 'infidel' (see Heiden 2) + ric 'power', 'rule', but probably in fact a variant by folk etymology of Heidrich.
HeiderGerman Combination of German Heide "heath, headland" and the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant. The surname can be either topographic for someone living on or near a heath, or habitational for someone from any place named with the element Heide.
HeierGerman The Heier surname is an occupational name from the Middle High German word "heie", which means "ranger guard".
HeierNorwegian A Norwegian habitational name from farmsteads in the Oslofjord region, meaning "heath moor". While primarily Norwegian, the surname "Heier" also has Dutch and German variants, which are considered variants of "Heyer".
HeifetzJewish An invented Jewish name based on Hebrew chefets "pleasure". Lithuanian-born US violinist Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) was a known bearer.
HeilandGerman South German: from Middle High German heilant ‘savior’, ‘Christ’, presumably either a name given to someone who had played the part of Christ in a mystery play or an occupational name for a healer, from Middle High German heilen ‘to heal’, ‘save’.
HeimburgGerman German for "home". Originates in the German village of Heimburg (not to be confused with Hamburg) and the nearby castle of the same name.
HeimburgerGerman, Jewish Status name for a village head, derived from Middle High German heim meaning "homestead, settlement" and bürge meaning "guardian". It could also be a habitational name for someone from numerous places called Heimburg or Heimberg in Germany.
HeitmeyerGerman German: distinguishing nickname for a farmer whose land included heathland, from Middle Low German heide ‘heath’, ‘wasteland’ + Meyer 1.
HelanderSwedish The first element is Hel-, which is probably derived from place names ultimately derived from Swedish helig "holy, sacred, blessed" or the male given name Helge... [more]
HelberGerman Occupational name for a thresher, from Middle High German helwe 'chaff' + the agent suffix -er; alternatively, it could be a habitational name from a place called Helba near Meiningen.
HelblingGerman (Swiss) Meaning "half penny" or a cheap /stingy man Know surname in Germany andSwitzerland. Helblings were French Huguenot
HeldGerman, Jewish, Dutch Means "hero" in German, ultimately derived from Middle High German helt. This name was bestowed upon a person either in its literal meaning or else in an ironic sense.
HeldeEstonian Helde is an Estonian surname meaning "big-hearted".
HelderDutch, German, Upper German, English 1. Dutch and German: from a Germanic personal name Halidher, composed of the elements haliò “hero” + hari, heri “army”, or from another personal name, Hildher, composed of the elements hild “strife”, “battle” + the same second element... [more]
HelferGerman Metonymic occupational name for an assistant of some kind, or nickname for a helpful person, from Middle High German hëlfære, German Helfer 'helper', 'assistant'.
HellandNorwegian The Old Norse name element -land meaning "country, land" combined with either Old Norse hella "flat rock" or hellir "cave". ... [more]
HellenbrandGerman Derived from germanic: hildtja = battle, brandt = sword, or prandt = burning wood/torch. Other view: Hilda is the Nordic Queen of the Underworld, Goddes of Death, so Sword/Torch of Hilda.... [more]
HellerGerman Nickname from the small medieval coin known as the häller or heller, named for the city it was first minted (in 1208) at, Hall am Kocher (currently called Schwäbisch Hall).
HelmEnglish, Dutch, German Either from Old English helm "protection covering" (in later northern English dialects "cattle shelter barn"). The name may be topographic for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or habitational from a place so named such as Helme in Meltham (Yorkshire)... [more]
HeloSyrian, Lebanese Helo is Americanized from the name Helou which means "sweet". Origin around year 1717 from El Helou. Tribal name from Helou Massive a mountain in the Syrian, later Lebanon country. Mentioned in the narratives of the first Crusade.
HelsingSwedish Denoted a person who came from the Swedish province Hälsingland.
HelstromScandinavian From a place called Helstrom, meaning a house (or shelter) by a river, from the pre 7th century Olde Norse "hiamlr- straumr".
HeltonEnglish (American) Habitational name from Helton in Cumbria, named in Old English probably with helde "slope" and tun "farmstead, settlement", or possibly a variant of Hilton... [more]
HemingwayEnglish Habitational name probably from an unidentified place in West Yorkshire, derived from the Old English given name Hemma combined with weg "way, road, path"... [more]
HemsleyEnglish English: habitational name from either of two places in North Yorkshire called Helmsley. The names are of different etymologies: the one near Rievaulx Abbey is from the Old English personal name Helm + Old English leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’, whereas Upper Helmsley, near York, is from the Old English personal name Hemele + Old English eg ‘island’, and had the form Hemelsey till at least the 14th century
HemsworthEnglish Habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire, England, meaning "Hymel's enclosure".
HenceGerman, English, Welsh An American spelling variant of Hentz derived from a German nickname for Hans or Heinrich or from an English habitation name found in Staffordshire or Shropshire and meaning "road or path" in Welsh.
HengstGerman, Dutch metonymic occupational name for someone who worked with or bred horses or a nickname for a brave strong man from Middle High German and Middle Dutch hengest "stallion" also "gelding" derived from Old Germanic hangist "stallion"... [more]
HenkerGerman Occupational name for an Executioner, from the German word "Henker" meaning Hangman.
HenleyEnglish, Irish, German (Anglicized) English: habitational name from any of the various places so called. Most, for example those in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, and Warwickshire, are named with Old English héan (the weak dative case of heah ‘high’, originally used after a preposition and article) + Old English leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’... [more]
HensleyEnglish Probably a habitational name from either of two places in Devon: Hensley in East Worlington, which is named with the Old English personal name Heahmund and Old English leah "(woodland) clearing", or Hensleigh in Tiverton, which is named from Old English hengest "stallion" (or the Old English personal name Hengest) and leah... [more]
HenwoodEnglish Habitational name from any of various places so named, as for example Henwood in Cornwall, in Linkinhorne parish, which is named from Old English henn 'hen', 'wild bird' + wudu 'wood', or Hen Wood in Wootton, Oxfordshire
HeoKorean Often spelled as ‘Huh,’ this Korean surname means ‘to permit’ or ‘advocate’.
HeoKorean From Sino-Korean 許 (heo) meaning "to approve", making it the Korean form of Xu 2.
HeppEstonian Hepp is an Estonian surname meaning "lively".
HerbolsheimerGerman Habitational name for someone from either of two places called Herbolzheim, in Baden and Bavaria.
HerbstGerman, Jewish Nickname from Middle High German herbest "harvest". The modern German word herbst has come to mean "fall" the time of year when the harvest takes place... [more]
HerbsterGerman Occupational name for a grape picker or vintner from Middle High German herbest "(grape) harvest".
HerdDutch Comes from Middle Dutch hert, herte ‘hart’, ‘stag’; probably a nickname for someone who was fleet of foot, or a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a deer; variant of Heard.
HerderGerman An occupational surname in reference to herding animals. The anglicized pronounciation is "Her-der", but is Germanically pronounced, "Herr-der".
HerediaSpanish Habitational name from any of various places in Basque Country called Heredia, probably derived from Latin heredium meaning "hereditary estate".
HerefordEnglish Habitational name from Hereford in Herefordshire, or Harford in Devon and Goucestershire, all named from Old English here "army" + ford "ford".
HerfurthGerman Either a metonymic occupational name for a soldier from Middle High German hervart "campaign military expedition" (from Old High German heri "army" and vart "journey")... [more]
HeritageEnglish (Rare) English status name for someone who inherited land from an ancestor, rather than by feudal gift from an overlord, from Middle English, Old French (h)eritage ‘inherited property’ (Late Latin heritagium, from heres ‘heir’).
HermèsFrench Either a topographic name for someone who lived in a deserted spot or on a patch of waste land from Occitan erm "desert waste" (from Greek erēmia) and the topographic suffix -ès, or from the given name Hermès.
HerndonEnglish Habitational name from a lost or unidentified place, possibly derived from Old English hyrne "corner, angle, nook" and dun "hill, mountain". Alternatively, it could derive from an older form of the toponym Harrowden, composed of hearg "temple, altar, pile of stones" and dun "hill".
HernerGerman Denoted someone hailing from the city Herne in Germany.
HernesEstonian Hernes is an Estonian surname meaning "pea".
HerodEnglish Usually a variant of Herald but Occasionally the name may have been used as a nickname in allusion to the Biblical King Herod played as a bragging tyrant in medieval mystery plays or for someone who had an overbearing temper but evidence to support this possibility is lacking.
HeroldEnglish, Dutch, German From the given name Herold. This was the surname of David Herold, one of the conspirators in the Abraham Lincoln assassination plot.
HeronFrench, Caribbean Either derived from the given name Heron, or given to someone who resembled a heron bird.
HerrickIrish Anglicized form of Irish Ó hEirc "descendant of Erc", a byname meaning "speckled, spotted".
HerridgeEnglish habitational name from Herridges in Pauntley (Gloucestershire) or Highridge in King's Nympton (Devon). The Gloucestershire placename may derive from Old English hæg "fence enclosure" and hrycg "ridge" or while the Devon placename comes from an uncertain initial element and Old English hrycg.
HerringGerman, English, Dutch, Scottish Occupational name for a fisherman, someone who caught or sold herring, or perhaps someone known for eating herring. It could have also been a nickname from the medieval phrase "to like neither herring nor barrel", meaning something of little value.
HerringtonEnglish habitational name from Herrington in County Durham, England
HerrmanGerman Herrman is of ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements heri meaning "army," and man meaning "man." Herrman was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.
HerschbachGerman From the name of two municipalities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. A notable bearer is the American chemist Dudley R. Herschbach (1932-).
HertzelGerman The ancestral home of the Hertzel family is in the German province of Bavaria. Hertzel is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute... [more]
HervéFrench, Breton From the Breton given name Hervé or from the ancient Germanic personal name Hariwig, composed of the elements hari "army" and wig "battle"... [more]
HerzbergGerman, Jewish habitational name from any of numerous places called Herzberg. artificial compound name from German herz "heart" and berg "hill".
HerzfeldGerman Derived from the same name of a municipality in Bitburg-Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
HessGerman Habitational name from Hesse, a German state. It can also derive from the personal name Hesso, a short form of Matthäus, Hendrick, or a name containing the element hadu "battle, strife".
HestonEnglish, Irish Derived from Heston, a suburban area in West London (historically in Middlesex), or Histon, a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. It is either named with Old English hǣs meaning "brushwood" and tūn meaning "farmstead, settlement, estate", or from hyse "shoot, tendril, son, youth" and tūn... [more]
HetheringtonEnglish Derived from Hetherington, a like-named place in Northumberland
HetmanUkrainian, Polish, Jewish (Ashkenazi) From a political title generally given to a military commander in Central and Eastern Europe, comparable to a field marshal, the term is probably ultimately derived from Middle High German heuptman "commander"... [more]
HettGerman, Frisian From the personal name Hette, a short form of names containing the element hadu "strife, battle, combat".
HettiarachchiSinhalese From Sinhala හෙට්ටි (hetti) referring to the Chetty caste (primarily composed of merchants and traders) combined with the colonial-era title ආරච්චි (arachchi) used to denote a village headman or leader.
HeuerGerman The name comes from the German word "Heu" meaning "hay."