Surname Herwigt - Meaning and Origin
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Herwigt: What does the surname Herwigt mean?
The last name Herwigt is a Germanic surname derived from the words "hari," which means "army," and "wig," which means "war." Thus, the name is believed to have been created by an ancestor who fought in an army. It is a descriptive name and can be translated to mean something like “army warrior.”
The surname Herwigt is believed to have first emerged in the Rhineland region of Germany, among a tribe of people known as the Franks. The Franks had strong military traditions and it is likely that such a name was created to commemorate a valiant warrior who fought for their people. The use of the names became more widespread as people of Frankish decent moved to other parts of Europe, such as Belgium and the Netherlands.
In more recent times, the surname Herwigt is mainly found in Holland and in states throughout North America. Many present-day Herwigts are descendants of Dutch immigrants who arrived in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name is now fairly rare, both in Europe and in North America.
Overall, Herwigt is a surname with ancient roots in the Germanic culture. The original meaning of the name was most likely to honor a fallen soldier of Frankish descent and the prominence of the name has since faded.
Order DNA origin analysisHerwigt: Where does the name Herwigt come from?
The last name Herwigt is most commonly found in northern Germany and the Low Countries, particularly in the border regions of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The name has Germanic origins, and is thought to be derived from Hermann meaning “army” or “warrior”, with the suffix “wight”, which itself is derived from the Old English word “wiht” meaning “man”.
The name Herwigt, so spelled, is most common to this day in the northern states of Germany such as Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt. The density of the distribution of the name Herwigt is highest in the city of Reeperbahn in Schleswig-Holstein, though in Berlin and the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia there are also substantial populations of people with the surname.
But the name is not restricted to Germany, with Herwigts also recorded in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Poland and even in the USA. In the United Kingdom there are some records of the name Herwigts arriving as far back as the 1800s, though it is not as common as in Germany.
So, the last name Herwigt is still very much alive today in the original Germanic areas, as well as to be found in many other countries around the world.
Variations of the surname Herwigt
Herwigt is an uncommon surname that can be found mostly in Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Austria. It can be derived from the German names Herwig, Herman, and Egidius, or as a patronymic surname meaning "son of Herwig" or "son of Herman". Variants of the surname Herwigt include Herweg, Herwigge, Herwitsch, Herwish, Hervish, Herwisk, Herwechs, Herwigs, Harwig, and Arwig.
In Germany and Austria, the spelling Herwigt is most commonly found, while in Norway, Herweg appears to be the variant of choice. Herwigge is a variant of Herwigt found mainly in Germany. Herwitsch is also a variant of the Herwigt surname, found mainly in Germany and Austria. Herwish is an Anglicized form of the German name, found mostly in Ireland, Scotland, and the United States. Hervish is most often found in Germany, while the variant Herwisk is most often found in Norway. Herwechs is also a variant that is quite common in Germany and Austria.
Herwigs is a Dutch form of the surname, while Harwig and Arwig can both be derived from the variant Herweg.
In conclusion, there are various variant spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Herwigt, which are mainly found in Germany, Austria, Norway, and Sweden. These variants include Herweg, Herwigge, Herwitsch, Herwish, Hervish, Herwisk, Herwechs, Herwigs, Harwig, and Arwig.
Famous people with the name Herwigt
- Bernhard Herwigt: German politician
- Gert Herwigt: Dutch radio and television host
- Justus Herwigt: Dutch footballer
- Jeroen Herwigt: Dutch pianist
- Luc Herwigt: Belgian sculptor and designer
- Rudi Herwigt: German actor and singer
- Thorsten Herwigt: German race car driver
- William Herwigt: British actor
- Colette Herwigt: Dutch artist
- Adrian Herwigt: Spanish cinematographer
- Thierry Herwigt: French composer and producer
- Raymond Herwigt, Jr.: American entrepreneur and author
- Julian Herwigt: Austrian actor
- Heinz Herwigt: German film director
- Wolfgang Herwigt: German politician
- Juliane Herwigt: Swedish actress and singer
- Anna Herwigt: German actress
- Gunter Herwigt: German composer
- Heinz-Peter Herwigt: German mathematician
- Hermann Herwigt: German race car driver