Surname Herzel - Meaning and Origin
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Herzel: What does the surname Herzel mean?
The last name Herzel is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, and is derived from the Germanic word for heart, “herz”. This likely was originally used as a personal name for a kind or loving person. The Herzel surname is common among Ashkenazic Jews, and is recorded in documents from 1620 in Germany, Holland, and Poland. From Germany, the surname spread into other parts of Europe.
There are many variant forms of the Herzel surname, such as Herz, Herze, Herzer, and Herzle. It is also known to have taken on a variety of spellings when immigrants arrived in the United States, such as Herzerl, Hershel, Hirshel, Herszle, Hirshache, and Herrenkind.
The Herzel surname is linked to several notable individuals. Among the most famous is Austrian engineer and inventor Hugo Herzel, who invented and patented a wire-tightening device. Austrian/Czech mathematician and philosopher Adolf Herzel was another notable person with the surname, one who wrote extensively on philosophy and mysticism.
In modern times, the Herzel surname is still popular and spread around the world, a testament to the family’s legacy of influence and exploration.
Order DNA origin analysisHerzel: Where does the name Herzel come from?
The last name Herzel is most commonly found today in Israel. This is because the Herzel family emigrated from Poland to then-Palestine during the late 1800s, making them one of the first families to settle in the area. The family name Herzel has historically been found throughout Central Europe, especially in territories which were formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The family can be traced back to at least the early 1700s when the first generations of Herzel family members were born.
Today, the Herzel name is popular in Israel, where it is estimated that there are over seven hundred people with the surname. It is also found in parts of the former Soviet Union and in smaller numbers in the United States. The name is most likely to be found in Israel among communities that trace their ancestry back to Europe, particularly the Ashkenazi Jews. Furthermore, there may be other separated branches of the Herzel Family that still reside in Central and Eastern Europe, where the name is also found.
Variations of the surname Herzel
The surname Herzel is an anglicized spelling of the German name Herzl. It is also spelt as Heerzle and Hersel. Other spellings stemming from the same origin include Herz, Herzell, Hertzell and Hertzel. The alternate spelling Herzle is found in both Switzerland and Austria.
In the United States, this surname is found in several states. Variations such as Herzle and Herzell are found in West Virginia, while in Pennsylvania, Hertzel is the most commonly found variation. In Virginia, Hertzell is the most widely used variation. The surname Herzle is most commonly found in Missouri and Illinois.
The surnames of Herzel, Herz and Hertzel appear in many countries. In the United Kingdom, Hertzel and Hertzell are the predominant variants. In Canada, Herzell and Hertzel are the most frequently recorded.
In the Jewish Diaspora, Herzel is connected to the surname of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism. Other variants associated with this surname include Herzog and Herzberger.
Though the surname of Herzel appears to be of German origin, variants of the spelling can be found in other countries as well. In the Czech Republic, names such as Herz, Herzel, Herzog and Herzberger all appear. In Romania, variants like Hertez, Hertel and Hertzel are also found. In Poland, the surname shows up as Hertel, Hertzel and Herzog.
All of these variations are connected to the same name origin – Herzel – and trace their origins back to Germany.
Famous people with the name Herzel
- Theodor Herzl (1860-1904): Famous Bavarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism.
- Michaëlle Jean (born Michèle Jean Herzel): Former Governor General of Canada from 2005 to 2010.
- Joseph Herzel (1870-1927): Austrian politician and another pioneer of Zionism.
- Margarete Herzl (1858-1908): Austrian philanthropist and grandmother of Theodor Herzl.
- Alice Herz-Sommer (1903–2014): Austrian Holocaust survivor, pianist and educator.
- Noemi Herzel (born 1960): Israeli film composer.
- Susan Herzel (1886-1970): Austrian-Israeli social worker, among the founders of the Ministry of Labour.
- Kemuel Herzel (1925-2011): Israeli diplomat, recipient of the Israel Prize.
- Emma Herzel: Daughter of Kemuel Herzel, Israeli civil servant and professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
- Joseph Herzel (1911-1995): Jewish-American sculptor.