Surname Vorhies - Meaning and Origin

Vorhies: What does the surname Vorhies mean?

The last name Vorhies is of Dutch origin and is a variant spelling of Voorhees, which is a combination of Dutch words "voor" and "hees." "Voor" roughly translates to "before" or "in front of," and "hees" was a historical area of woodland. Therefore, the surname Vorhies could mean "from the front of the hees" or "from the forest." It is a habitational surname, which could have been used to identify individuals who originated from a specific place, typically a geographical location or a manor in the Netherlands. Notably, surnames that originated from geographical locations were often given to the local landowners, and to those who moved from their birthplace to another location. Like many surnames, over centuries and cultural shifts, the spelling and pronunciation of the name have likely gone through various changes, resulting in variants such as Vorhies.

Vorhies: Where does the name Vorhies come from?

The last name Vorhies is most commonly found in German-speaking countries and regions, such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, and parts of the United States with German roots. It is also prominent in the Netherlands, Denmark, and South Africa.

Vorhies is the Germanic spelling of the name, while the English spelling is Varhies. The name can originate from several places, such as a location in Alsace, France, the Dutch villages of Vrehren and Vrehen, or from the Germanic word for “ridge” or “hill.”

The name is still occurring in Germany, although the modernized spelling is often Vorhees. In the United States, the surname became popularized in the 19th century when families of German descent immigrated to the country. It is especially common in Ohio, which has witnessed the highest concentration of the name, as well as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York.

Today, the name is likely to appear in any paper records related to German-speaking countries, the United States, Luxemburg, or South Africa. Furthermore, it is currently frequently found in areas in which German American populations have settled, such as the Midwest and the Plains states.

Variations of the surname Vorhies

The surname of Vorhies can is alternatively spelled as Vories, Vorce, Vors, Voree, Vorel, Voorhis, Vorhice, Vorhiese, Vore, Vorhees, Voorheis, and Voorhies.

Vorhies is an anglicized version of Germanic surname Voorhees, and is derived from the Old Germanic name Voorheis. Other variations of Voorhees include Vaughn, Vooreis, Voorhees, and Voorshees. The languages spoken in the regions the spelling changed are French, Dutch, and German.

The Voorhees surname was especially common in the Netherlands and France during the Middle Ages, where many of the modern variations of the spelling originated from. The spelling changed due to different languages spoken in Europe at the time, as some dialects of Dutch and French were harder to understand and understand.

The most common variations of theVorhies surname is Vorhies, Vories, Vorce, Vors, Voree, Vorel, Voorhis, Vorhice, Vorhiese, Vore, Vorhees, Voorheis, and Voorhies. These surname variations emerged due to various altering spellings of the original name in different languages and dialects.

Vorhies is a family name of varied origins, so variations of the spelling can be found in many different cultures. Some variations of the surname are specifically found in European countries, while others are found in North America and South America. Each of these variations has their own origin, meaning, and history. Regardless of the variations, the surname of Vorhies has a long and storied history.

Famous people with the name Vorhies

• Mark Voorhies: is an American actor best known for his performance in the television sitcom Saved by the Bell playing the lovable nerd, Screech Powers.
• LeVar Burton: American actor, presenter, director, and author best known for his portrayal of Geordi La Forge from the Star Trek franchise.
• Simon tries: Dutch politician. He served as the leader of the Dutch political party Reformative Political Federation and President of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2017.
• Gary Voorhies: American politician, lawyer, and member of the Iowa General Assembly.
• Hanco Voorhies: Dutch entrepreneur and philanthropist. Voorhies founded multiple companies in the Netherlands in sectors, such as insurance, media and real estate.
• Frank Voorhies: American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1922 to 1924, and at Ohio State University from 1925 to 1929.
• Herman Voorhies: American Methodist minister and the first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He served as the church's first presiding bishop from 1842 until his death in 1845.
• James Voorhies: a prominent 19th-century American artist best known for his commissioned portraits of early statesmen, soldiers and other leaders.
• Jair Voorhies: a member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2011. He was a member of the Saskatchewan Party.

Other surnames

Vorhis