Surname Vorhis - Meaning and Origin

Vorhis: What does the surname Vorhis mean?

Vorhis is a surname of Dutch origin. The name derives from "Van Voorhees," which translates to "from before the house" or "of the first house" in English. This typically indicates that the family holding this surname originally lived in or near the first house of a particular town or village. Split into its components, "Van" translates to "from" or "of", "voor" means "before" or "in front of", and "hees" was a term used to refer to a wooded area. Over time, with migration and changes in language, "Van Voorhees" evolved into various forms, including Voorhees, Voorhis, and Vorhees, among others. Surnames were often used as a way to determine the origin of a person, so the surname Vorhis likely identified people coming from a specific location. Today, this surname can be found throughout the world but especially in regions with Dutch ancestral ties.

Vorhis: Where does the name Vorhis come from?

The last name Vorhis can be commonly found in the United States today. The highest concentrations are most often found in the Midwest and in the South, particularly in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia.

The last name is of Germanic origin, with roots in the region known today as Lower Saxony. This region, which includes the cities of Bremen, Hanover, Lüneburg, and Goslar, was well-known for its numerous mining operations of silver and copper. The name would have been adopted by a family that worked in these mines, and eventually brought to the United States by either German immigrants, or their descendants.

While the exact numbers are unknown, records do show that there are hundreds of people in America today with the last name Vorhis. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, around 400 people living in the United States have the last name Vorhis. Ohio in particular, with more than 260 individuals reported in the census, is the state with the highest number of Vorhis families today.

Overall, the last name Vorhis is an old and established surname in the United States, particularly throughout the Midwest and the South where its Germanic roots are preserved. It is a testament to the many people of Germanic descent who have contributed to the unique history of the United States.

Variations of the surname Vorhis

The surname Vorhis has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, including Voris, Voorhis, Voreis, Voeris, and Voohris. The surname is typically of Germanic origin, and could possibly have come from the old High German elements ‘vor’ (meaning ahead) and ‘hals’ (meaning neck). It could also have been derived from the old Germanic personal name ‘Vorhar’ or ‘Vorher’.

The Germanic spelling of the Vorhis surname is Vöhlis, and the variations in spelling occurring in languages with other alphabets further complicate the picture. These can include the Dutch spelling Voorhis, the Dutch-Flemish spelling Voorhees, the Polish spelling Vohris, and the Russian spelling Vahris or Vahriss. Other variants and spellings occurring in Germany and Austria include Vahle, Vahls, Vahlz, and Vulhys.

In the United States, the surname often becomes anglicized into spellings such as Voreis, Voeris, and Voorhis. The many spelling variations make it difficult to trace the ancestry of those with the surname.

Surnames derived from the Vorhis surname can include Voreiss, Voohris, Voohriss, Voeriss, Verhins, Vehrine, Vahrin, Voren, Vorens, Voorns, Vorenhees, Voorne, Vahrines, Vahrens, Varrens, and Varines.

The varied spellings of the surname, in combination with the large number of spellings with similar pronunciations in other languages, have caused the spelling of Vorhis to be quite difficult to trace accurately.

Famous people with the name Vorhis

• Amir Vorhis: American former professional soccer player.
• Michael Vorhis: Author and speaker on warfare, special operations, tactical handguns, and high technology.
• Heather Vorhis: Founder of TwoLeavesOrganic, an Australian tea company.
• Joseph Vorhis: Major League Baseball outfielder who played in the National League for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals during the 1960s and 70s.
• Larry Vorhis: American artist, landscape painter, illustrator, and art instructor from California.
• Nancy Vorhis: American comic book artist best known for her work on the adventure title Star Trek: Untold Voyages and the adult-oriented title Sylvana.
• William Vorhis: American artist and director of Visarts, the artistic arm of the University of California's San Francisco campus.
• Matthew Vorhis: U.S. Navy veteran and director of communications for USAA, the military service-oriented financial services provider.
• Kelly Vorhis: American filmmaker and director/producer of the short film “Derailment” in 2007.
• Margarita Vorhis: Singer-songwriter and spiritual teacher of Hwa-Yen Buddhism.

Other surnames

Vorhies