Surname Sighart - Meaning and Origin
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Sighart: What does the surname Sighart mean?
The last name Sighart is derived from the Middle High German word “sihtar”, meaning “various kinds of stone”. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with stone, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a quarry or a quarryman. Over the centuries, the spelling of the name gradually changed from its original form to the version seen today.
The style of the name is occupational or habitational, which indicates that it refers to someone’s profession or to a geographical location. It is therefore believed that people who carried this surname in medieval times were involved in stonecutting, quarrying or stone-masonry. It is also possible that the name was given to someone living in a town or hamlet which was associated with stone, such as a stonemason or constructor.
The name Sighart is fairly uncommon and is most prominently found in the countries of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is also possible to find it amongst those of Germanic descent in North America, where immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire settled in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Overall, the last name Sighart is an ancient surname which likely derived from the profession or geographical location of the family’s early members. Its unique origin and distinct spelling makes it a special name that those who are familiar with it are proud to carry.
Order DNA origin analysisSighart: Where does the name Sighart come from?
The last name Sighart is most commonly found in Germany, where it is known as a toponymic surname, derived from a place name. Records suggest that it is most concentrated in the federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is also found in Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary, as well as in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Croatia.
In the United States, the last name appears to be less common, though there are some registered instances of it. It can be found in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Arizona, and Delaware. The earliest and most prominent instance of Sighart in the records is Johann Sighart, who arrived in the colony of Pennsylvania in 1738.
In addition to being derived from a place name, Sighart has also been seen as a variant of Sechsigart, from the surnames Sechser and Sechsig. It may also be derived from the Old High German noun Sehharz, meaning "discovery" or "vision."
Overall, Sighart is a relatively uncommon name in the United States, but it is most commonly found in Germany and other parts of Central Europe.
Variations of the surname Sighart
The Sighart surname has a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
The variants of Sighart include exclude Sighart, Seeharter, Sigharde, Seeharter, Seegarter, Seegarder, Sigarder, Seggarder, Segert and Segerer.
The spellings of Sighart include Sighard, Sigharde, Seeharter, Seegarter, Seegarder, Sigarder, Seggarder, Segert, and Segerer.
Other surnames of the same origin as Sighart include Siegert, Seigert, Siggert, Sigerd, Sigard, Sigurd, Siegwald, Siegword, and Sigward.
Sighart is believed to be of Germanic origin and is derived from the Old German personal names Sigeward/Sigerward, which can be translated to mean “guardian of victory” or “victor’s guardian”. This surname was also found in parts of France and England under the spelling variation of Siegard/Sigard.
The Sighart surname can also mean “guardian of the sea”, which originates from the Old High German “segga” meaning sea. It is likely to have been a descriptive nickname referring to a guardian of ships, fisherman or sailor.
In England, the Sighart surname has been linked to other variants such as Segarr, Sigar, Segur and Seger.
The Sighart surname is believed to have migrated between France, England, and Germany, due to people seeking better opportunities. This surname has been prominent in Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland. In the US, the Sighart surname is most common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Famous people with the name Sighart
- Egon Schiele, a 20th century Austrian painter and draftsman whose Expressionist-style artworks are considered to be some of the most important of his day.
- Johann Sighart, an early 17th-century German music theorist and author of the influential treatise Musicalisches Lexicon.
- Franz Sighart, the third-most important organ builder in the early 18th-century German city of Leipzig.
- Andreas Sighart, a prominent sculptor from the 16th century.
- Wilhelm Sighart, a Swiss paleobiologist and creationist best known for his controversial views on the origin of life.
- Peter Sighart, a 17th-century Austrian painter and art collector known for his Baroque works, in particular his still-life paintings.
- Max Sighart, a late-18th century composer and sculptor who was a leading figure in the German art scene during the height of Neo-classicism.
- Jakob Sighart, an early 17th-century German engraver and miniaturist.
- Christoph Sighart, a Luxembourgian baroque painter who was active in the late 17th century.
- Helene Sighart, a contemporary German painter and installation artist whose worksk explore notions of identity, culture, and geography.