Surname Hedicke - Meaning and Origin
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Hedicke: What does the surname Hedicke mean?
The last name Hedicke is a German surname that is derived from the Middle High German word “hedic”, which means “warrior”. This likely indicates that the family was of noble or knightly standing. It is also believed to have originated as a nickname or given name for someone who displayed a will to win in sporting events or in battle.
The Hedicke family name is thought to have first appeared in records during the 14th and 15th centuries when their ancestor, Balduin Hedicke, is noted as a resident of the city of Baden near the Rhine. This area now forms part of Bavaria.
The last name Hedicke spread to many other parts of Europe as its members sought out new opportunities during times of war or famine in their native Germany. Today, the name is found throughout Germany, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and particularly in the United States, where it was most popularly recorded in Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois.
The Hedickes of today can look to their roots with pride, as their name is a timeless reminder of the power of people determined to survive and succeed, no matter the odds. With a long history of skillful, creative and fearless people, the Hedickes of today have more opportunities than ever to forge their own paths and make their mark upon the world.
Order DNA origin analysisHedicke: Where does the name Hedicke come from?
The last name Hedicke is most common in Germany today. Specifically, it is an especially common surname in the eastern area of Germany, the former East Germany. It's also found in some of the surrounding countries, such as Poland and the Czech Republic.
The region was formerly part of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was a German state before the modern state of Germany was created. The name itself is derived from the Old German ‘hedick’, which translates to ‘active’, ‘dynamic’, or ‘energetic’. This suggests that the surname is connected to some form of activity or trade that was common in the region.
There is another Hedicke surname variant found in parts of Germany, which is spelled Hedik. The two variants are sometimes mixed, but they generally refer to the same family.
Due to the migrations of German families around the world, the Hedicke last name can also be found in many other countries, though it’s not as common. It can appear in places as far-flung as the United States, Canada, and even Northern Africa, like Tunisia and Morocco.
Variations of the surname Hedicke
Hedicke is a surname of German origin. It derives from Middle High German hedewig which means battle warrior. Variants of the name include Heidicke, Hedyke, Hedike, Heidike, Hedic, Heidich, Heidick, Hedicmann, Heitke, Heideck, Heideckt, Häderich, Häderick, Häderigk, Hetigke, Hetike, Hederich, Heidegger, Heidogger, Heydogger, Heydegger, Haydicke, Hayden, Haydn, and Heesters.
One of the earliest written records of the name is dated to 1272, where a Hermann von Heidike appears in land records from the county of Holstein in Northern Germany.
The name spread throughout Europe as many people sought opportunities in other countries. Some examples of this percent are: first records of the name appear in England during the 13th century when Mathias Hedike, a native of Bremen, was recorded in the documents regarding the settlement in Cambridge in around 1250; Hedicke von Meldorff immigrated to Sweden in 1675; Heinrich Hedicke moved to Norway in 1697, and Philipp Hedigke and his family moved to Denmark in 1705.
The spelling of the name has varied over time and between countries, due to the process of transcription and the lack of standardized spelling prior to the 20th century.
Famous people with the name Hedicke
- Christian Hedičke (born in 1949), German athlete, former hurdler, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and European Indoor champion.
- Bernhard Hedicke (born in 1935), German professional poker player and founder of the “Hedicke System”.
- Arndt Hedicke (born in 1915), German film and television actor.
- Fritz Hedicke (1907–1959), German botanist, professor of botany at Humboldt University of Berlin, and former director of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum in Berlin.
- Auguste Hedicke (1835–1907), German zoologist and academic, professor of zoology at the University of Halle-Wittenberg and curator of the Royal Prussian Zoological Collection.
- Karl August Hedicke (1812–1859), German physicist and mathematician who developed the theory of the propagation of oscillations in a plasma.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Hedicke (1762–1823), German priest and leader of the Moravian church.
- Franz Wilhelm Hedicke (1747–1810), German pastor and historian, best known for his writing on the history of Berlin.
- Heinrich August Carl Hedicke (1720–1797), German writer and historian.
- Christian Hedicke (1665–1743), German preacher and theologian, best known for his book “A Compendious System of Natural History in Nine Volumes”.