Surname Härtling - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Härtling: What does the surname Härtling mean?
The German surname Härtling is derived from a personal name, Hartwin, composed of two Old German words, “hart” meaning “strong” and “win” meaning “friend”. It literally translates to “a strong and loyal friend”.
The first known bearer of the Härtling name was Johannes Hartwing, who was recorded in Germany in 1373. Over the next several centuries, the spelling of the name would change slightly in various regions as it spread into other countries with German-speaking populations, like Austria and Switzerland.
The surname is thought to have originated in either East Prussia or Silesia, two areas in eastern Germany which have endured several cultural and political changes over the centuries.
Most people who bear the Härtling surname today are descended from those original families in those regions who adopted the surname in the late 1400s and early 1500s.
In modern Germany, there are a number of large towns and cities where the Härtling surname is particularly common, such as Potsdam in Brandenburg, Neuburg an der Donau in Bavaria, and Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Although the name is not particularly widespread, those who bear the Härtling surname today can take pride in their heritage as they represent the long legacy of “strong and loyal friends” that the name represents.
Order DNA origin analysisHärtling: Where does the name Härtling come from?
The last name Härtling is most likely of Germanic origin and is quite common in contemporary Germany. It can also be found in English-speaking countries around the world.
In Germany, the last name Härtling is especially common in East Germany and the German-speaking parts of Austria. The name is found throughout Germany, but it is especially strong in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria. It is not an extremely common last name in German-speaking Switzerland, but it can be found there as well.
Outside of Germany and Austria, the name Härtling can be found in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The highest concentrations of people with this last name are in the Midwestern part of the United States, particularly in the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This population is likely due to the influx of German immigrants to the United States in the 1800s.
In the United States, the last name has been anglicized to "Hartling" and so it is often not immediately associated with its Germanic origin. This is especially true of the United States Census records of the early 1900s, where individuals with the last name of "Hartling" had a much higher rate of reporting to the census than those with the last name of "Härtling".
The last name Härtling is most closely associated with East Germany and other German-speaking countries, but it can be found in many other countries around the world as well.
Variations of the surname Härtling
The surname Härtling has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. They include Hartling, Hartlinger, Hertling, Hartlink, Hartlin, Hartlaub, Härtyl, Hertyll, Hartel, Hartele, and Hardling. These variations usually appear in records from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Härtling is an occupational surname, originally used to denote a profession. It is derived from the German word hart, which means hard or tough. In Germanic countries, many people with this surname were craftsmen who worked with stone, iron, or metal.
In some cases, the surname Härtling can have aristocratic origins. It is believed that some families of this name are descended from noble families, such as the counts of Härtlingen in southern Germany and Austria.
The name Hartling can also be derived from place names, usually derived from a combination of the words “hart” and “burg”, meaning literally a hard or tough castle. This variant may be derived from the settlement of Hartlingen, a former village in east Germany.
The variations of the surname Härtling may have arisen from a variety of different causes, such as changes in dialect, local influences, or family preference over time. It is also possible for variations of the same surname to appear in several countries which share common linguistic roots, such as German, Dutch, and Scandinavian countries.
Famous people with the name Härtling
- Peter Härtling: German author
- David Härtling: German chemist
- Sven Härtling: German skier
- Max Härtling: German rower
- Friedrich Härtling: German composer
- Franz Härtling: German gymnast
- Paul Härtling: German athlete
- Erwin Härtling: German basketball coach
- Gert Härtling: German footballer
- Rudolf Härtling: German resistance activist