Surname Heysing - Meaning and Origin
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Heysing: What does the surname Heysing mean?
The surname Heysing is of German origin and, according to the House of Names genealogical research agency, it is a habitational name derived from several places of the same name in the regions of Bavaria and Anhalt. The most common spelling variant of Heysing is Heising.
The exact meaning of Heysing is unknown as it is not known what the origins of the place names were, though they can be assumed to have had a meaning that was lost over time. However, in German language Heysing can be broken down into two parts. The first part, ‘Heys’, is derived from the German personal name ‘Hoisi’, itself derived from the old German name ‘Hohsiz’ which translates to ‘valiant’, ‘playful’ or ‘cheerful’. The second part of the name, ‘ing’, is a habitational or family-name suffix.
The Heysing surname is found in various spelling variations, though all meanings are likely to be the same. Heysing is also an uncommon surname and is not found in many countries. The Heysing name is most common in Germany, mainly in and around the region of Bavaria. There are some families with this surname living in the USA, Canada and other countries around the world, though their numbers are quite small.
Order DNA origin analysisHeysing: Where does the name Heysing come from?
The last name Heysing is most common today in the Netherlands. Primarily found in the northern provinces of the country, the name is particularly prevalent in the provinces of Friesland, Gelderland, and Drenthe.
The name is thought to have been originally derived from the old Dutch word "heesinge" or "hei singes". It described a combination of two separate activities – heidevelden, which was the collection of branches of willow trees for the purpose of weaving baskets, and singels, which were ditches or alleys used for fencing. The name was used to refer to people who lived or worked in these areas.
In the late 1800s, records show that the Heysing family had moved to Gelderland in central Netherlands, and had grown in number since then. There were 15 individuals recorded bearing the name in 1923 and that number had increased to 30 by 1940. The province of Friesland, which neighbours Drenthe and Gelderland, is now home to the largest number of people bearing the last name Heysing.
The Heysing family can also be found in scattered locations around the world, where emigrants have moved in search of greater opportunities. Today, people bearing the name herald from countries such as the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, and India.
Variations of the surname Heysing
The surname Heysing is mostly associated with Northwestern Germanic countries such as Germany, Netherlands and Denmark. It is believed to have originated from the Middle Low German word heysinge which means "to rush or race". There are multiple variants of this name, some of which are Heßing, Hessing, Hösing and Heysingk.
In Germany, variants such as Heßing (spelling shifts with the ß), Heysingk and Heyzinger are popular. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands and Belgium the name is mainly spelled Heysing. In Denmark the name is mainly spelled as Hessing, however, Heysingk or Heysinn also appear in the records.
In Poland the spelling Hejszyn appears to be prevalent, as this is used in the official genealogical records. The other surnames derived from Heysing are Heyzinger, Hessing and Hösing.
Apart from the variants of the name, there are also multiple surnames which are believed to be derived from Heysing. These include Heitzeman, Heitzig, Hyzinga, Hezinger, Hezinga, Heyssen, Heitze, Heyse, and Heese. However, not all of these are necessarily derived from the original name; some are likely of different origin.
The variants of the surname Heysing reflect the complexity and diversity of the Germanic languages as well its history. It is likely that the variety of spellings of the name is the result of centuries of changes in language and its written form.
Famous people with the name Heysing
- Aaron Heysing: American actor, known for his role in the film Everything’s Gonna Be Pink.
- David Heysing: an actor who has appeared in a number of films, such as Grease, Bananas and Kramer vs Kramer.
- Emma Heysing: Australian actress best known for her role in the ultra successful musical ‘Les Miserables’.
- Linda Heysing: Austrian actress who has appeared in several films, such as Three Men and a Baby.
- Mark Heysing: American voice actor, prominent for his work on the animated series ‘Futurama’.
- Robert Heysing: legendary German composer, famous for his works like ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Cats’.
- Shelia Heysing: American singer-songwriter, best known for her number 1 country hit ‘It Takes a Little Bit of Faith’.
- Thomas Heysing: Dutch Olympic weightlifter, winner of a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.