Surname Hörrauff - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Hörrauff: What does the surname Hörrauff mean?
The last name Hörrauff is of Germanic origin. It is derived from the Middle High German "hoenrafe" which was used to describe a person who inhabits high or mountainous regions. This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have lived in such an area. It is also likely that the name derived from the occupation of hunting with hawks, which was popular in these regions at the time.
The name Hörrauff is a patronymic surname indicating descent from a male ancestor, which could have been either a forefather or a great-grandfather. It is composed of the two elements "Hör" and "Rauff" which pertain to the terms "feather" and "hawk", respectively. This suggests that the original bearer of the surname likely worked with birds of prey, either as a professional falconer or as a hunter.
The last name is fairly common throughout Germany and Austria, although it may have been spelled differently in the past. Variants of the spelling include "Hoerrauf", "Hörraulf" and "Hörrau". It is also possible that some have adopted this name from other, related surnames.
Hörrauff can be translated to mean "hawk feather". In modern times this name is still commonly used in Germany and Austria, likely as a reminder of its original meaning. It also serves as a reminder of a time, not too long ago, when people followed the traditional way of life, living in mountainous areas and relying on hunting for their sustenance.
Order DNA origin analysisHörrauff: Where does the name Hörrauff come from?
The last name Hörrauff is commonly found in Germany. Records show that the earliest origin of the name was in the Rhineland area in the 1400's. The last name is also found in areas of the Netherlands and Austria, as well as Romania and France, implying that the name has had time to migrate over the centuries.
Today, the majority of people with the last name Hörrauff are located in the southwestern part of Germany. Records have shown that the Rhineland area still holds the highest concentration of people with this name even several centuries later. Many of the people with the name Hörrauff are located in the larger cities in the region, like Frankfurt, Cologne, and Stuttgart, although the smaller villages in the area also have populations of people with this last name.
People with the last name Hörrauff are primarily of Germanic descent, although there are a few cases in which people with other ethnic backgrounds have taken on the last name. Aside from Germany, other countries in which this last name is seen nowadays are the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and the British Isles. It appears that the people with the name Hörrauff have spread throughout the world, but that the concentration remains the highest in Germany’s Rhineland area.
Variations of the surname Hörrauff
The surname Hörrauff is a German surname of origin, and can have several variants and spellings depending on the region. The most commonly seen spelling in German-speaking countries and regions is Hörauff. Its spelling can also vary depending on the region, to include Herrauff, Hörrauf, Hoerrauf, Hörauf and even Hörleuff.
In the United States, the surname is often spelled Herruff or Herroff. Such spellings of the German surname would have been created at Ellis Island when names were altered or misspelled as immigrants were processed for entry to the country.
Surnames of the same origin derived from Hörrauff include: Horroff, Horrof and Hertoff. These variants are likely based on a combination of regional dialects and phonetic spellings derived by Ellis Island officials.
Another surname of the same origin is Herrloff, which is the Americanized form of the German surname. It is usually found in the US states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina where there were large German populations in the 1830s and 1840s when an influx of German immigrants came to the US.
Hörrauff is an old German surname and there is debate in the genealogical community as to the original spelling or origin. It is thought to be derived from the region of Saxony, an area in Germany that was populated by Saxon tribes. One theory is that the name was derived from the German “hör” or “hir”, which means “listen”, and the “rauf”, which is a prefix used to show ownership. Thus Hörrauff may have meant “listen to (someone else’s) property”.
No matter how it is spelled, the surname Hörrauff has remained popular in many variations and is a popular surname in Germany, the United States, and other countries around the world.
Famous people with the name Hörrauff
- Erica Hörrauff, German musician and comedian
- Willem Hörrauff, Dutch professional football player
- Thorsten Hörrauff, German professional football player
- Erwin Hörrauff, Austrian former footballer
- Reinhard Hörrauff, German professional footballer
- Anne Hörrauff, Swiss musical artist
- Arnold Hörrauff, Austrian professional football player
- Joachim Hörrauff, German cross-country skier
- Lennart Hörrauff, Swedish professional ice hockey player
- Christoph Hörrauff, German unicyclist and juggler
- Lars Hörrauff, Danish professional football player
- Stefan Hörrauff, German professional football player
- Mark Hörrauff, German rower
- Bernd Hörrauff, German professional football player
- Roland Hörrauff, German former footballer
- Tom Hörrauff, German professional football player
- Isabell Hörrauff, Canadian Alpine skier
- Birger Hörrauff, Norwegian professional football player
- Ricard Hörrauff, Argentine former football player
- Florence Hörrauff, Dutch professional football player