Surname Hörwick - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Hörwick: What does the surname Hörwick mean?
The surname Hörwick is of German origin. It is derived from the German name Horwich, which originally meant "from the muddy farm." The surname refers to a person who was born or lived in a location that was known for its muddy landscape. The location was likely in the lower Rhine region of Germany.
The name is believed to date back to the Middle Ages. It is assumed that the name began as a family name for a family of farmers who lived in an area with difficult terrain. The muddy soil was difficult to work with and the family likely had to work hard in order to make a successful farm. As a result, they earned the name “Horwich”, which translated to “from the muddy farm.”
The spelling of the name is believed to have changed slightly over time. Today, the commonly accepted spelling is Hörwick. Over the centuries, families of this name have spread across Europe and beyond. The name is particularly common in Germany, Austria, and southeastern regions of France.
The name Hörwick holds a strong link to Germany's lower Rhine region, a reminder of the difficult terrain and hardworking people who inhabited this area and helped to shape its history.
Order DNA origin analysisHörwick: Where does the name Hörwick come from?
The last name Hörwick is primarily common in Germany today. In the entirety of Germany only 0.0003% of the population carry the name, making it a rarity. Those that do carry the name tend to live in communities in the western region of the county. In North Rhine-Westphalia, around 4,000 people carry the last name. Townships like Bochum, Recklinghausen, and Essen have large concentrations of Hörwick family members. The shell of a church near Recklinghausen also bears the family name for those that helped build the church in the 1500s.
The last name is also spread across other communities in Germany, primarily in the Southwest. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg host sizable communities bearing the Hörwick surname. There is also a much smaller concentration of people with the last name in the United States. Many family members who came over in the 18th century settled in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. There is even a tiny village outside of La Crosse, Wisconsin that is named Hörwick.
Variations of the surname Hörwick
The surnames Hörwick and Harwick both have the same origin and share several variants and spellings. Hörwick can be spelled as Horwick, Horwitch, Horvitch, or Herwick, while Harwick can be spelled as Harwick, Harwitch, Harvitch, Harvick, or Herwich. In some cases, the letters ‘o’ and ‘a’ are interchangeable in both versions of the name, while in other cases ‘h’ could be substituted for the ‘h’ in Hörwick.
The origins of both Hörwick and Harwick trace back to old Germanic roots. It is believed that the original name was Hariwald, meaning “army rule”. Over time, the name has changed in various ways, leading to the variants we see today. Some sources suggest that many of the current spellings of the name are derived from the French language, particularly through phrases such as “arte witch” and “lehervaux”. Ultimately, the name has been adopted as surnames, as well as being used for first names in some cases.
In addition to the variants of the name Hörwick and Harwick, there are also several different surnames of the same origin. These include Hartwick, Hartvig, Harvig, and Hampton. These all have the same general meaning, often relating to an army or ruler, depending on the particular spelling.
Hörwick and Harwick are clearly related surnames with a variety of spellings and variants. Ultimately, whether a person is using the Hörwick version or the Harwick version, they all have the same origin and mean the same general thing.
Famous people with the name Hörwick
- Max von Hörwick: German mathematician and physicist
- Ulrich von Hörwick: German general during World War I
- Fanny von Hörwick: German writer and poet
- August von Hörwick: German historian
- Johanna von Hörwick: German sculptor and draughtswoman
- Enguerrand de Hörwick: French baron and admiral
- Karl August von Hörwick: German statesman and diplomat
- Anna Hörwick: Swedish composer and soprano
- Friedrich von Hörwick: Swiss theologian
- Ernst von Hörwick: German architect