Surname zur Hellen - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'Z'
zur Hellen: What does the surname zur Hellen mean?
The last name Zur Hellen is German in origin, derived from the German word "zu" meaning 'belonging to' and the location "Hellen", a small town in Westphalia. Historically, a resident of Hellen was given a suffix of "zur Hellen" to identify their place of origin.
The literal translation of Zur Hellen is 'from Hellen'. The location of Hellen is found in the northwest part of Germany, in the Munsterland region, and is located near the cities of Osnabrück and Münster. The area is noteworthy for its lush countryside, with rolling hills, forests and a few rivers and its many historic cities, including Zwolle, the birthplace of Emperor Willem I.
The surname Zur Hellen has been present in Germany for centuries, and extended families have been known to carry it across the country. Throughout Europe, the name Zur Hellen is primarily associated with the Münster region. Over the centuries, the surname has also become fairly common in England, where it is usually pronounced and spelled 'Zerhlien'.
In modern-day Germany, the surname Zur Hellen remains relatively common and continues to be used mainly as a source of pride and a way to identify one's ancestral home. Families bearing the surname Zur Hellen today can trace their roots back to the quaint town of Hellen, in the historical region of Westphalia.
Order DNA origin analysiszur Hellen: Where does the name zur Hellen come from?
The last name ZUR HELLEN is generally found in Germany and other parts of Europe with German heritage. It has been traced to a place known as “Zur Hellen” located near Soest in the Paderborn area of Germany. This suggests that the surname likely originated in the area.
The last name is fairly rare, with fewer than 2,000 people currently bearing the surname worldwide. Most of those who bear it are concentrated in Germany, with some small concentrations in the Netherlands, France, and Switzerland. While some of these people may be of German heritage, some may also have adopted the surname through marriage or other connections.
The more common versions of the last name include ZU HELLEN, ZUEHLEN, XUELEN, and ZUHELEN. It is likely that some of those bearing the name today are descended from people who anglicized the surname or changed it through happenstance over time.
The surname can also be found among Jewish individuals with German heritage. This is because Jewish families often adopted German last names during the time of the German Empire, when religious persecution was common. While this may account for some of the people who bear the name today, it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly how many.
All in all, the last name ZUR HELLEN is a relatively uncommon one, but those who bear it can trace their heritage to a small region in Germany and to other parts of Europe with German heritage.
Variations of the surname zur Hellen
The surname Zur Hellen (or Zurhellen) is of German origin. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Zurhelen, Zur Helene, Zur Hellen routinely abbreviated to Zurh or Zrhl, Zurhellen, Zirhelen, Zirhelene, Zurhelle, Sürhelle, Zurhell.
Other similar surname variations of Zur Hellen include Zur-Ehlene, Zur-Ehlen, Spurhelen, Thurhelen, Zur-Ehl, Zur-Ahlen, Zur-Ahl, Zir Ayalon, and Ziralon. These variations can be attributed to phonetic translations that were common in many European languages, especially when multiple dialects of a single language are spoken.
In addition, as families moved to different parts of the world, variations in spelling often occurred due to different dialects and interpretations. It is also possible that some references to Zur Hellen might be written or verbalized as Thürhellen (German) or Sourhelen (Yiddish).
The name can be found in various nationalities around the world, including Dutch, Belgian, German, Swiss, Austrian, Scandinavian, and Jewish. The name is also prevalent in French literature, but not in French-speaking countries. No matter the spelling, all of the surname variations derive from the same origin.
Famous people with the name zur Hellen
- Adam Zur Hellen: Adam was an Austrian lawyer and politician who served as the President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1956-1965.
- Anja Zur Hellen: Anja is a German composer and musician, who has composed music for several TV series such as "The Young and The Restless" and "All My Children".
- Anton Zur Hellen: Anton was an Austrian-German architect and government-appointed Chief of Urban Planning for Vienna.
- Burkhard Zur Hellen: Burkhard is a German professor of international law at the University of Freiburg, and a professor of international relations at the Free University of Berlin.
- Friedrich Zur Hellen: Friedrich was a 19th century German lawyer, politician, and historian who was involved in politics during the tumultuous period of 1848-1849, when Germany was fragmented into several small, separate states.
- Jacob Zur Hellen: Jacob was a German urban planner who worked for the city of Cologne as an Oberstadt-Inspektor from 1927-1958. He designed several parks and public squares during his tenure.
- Maria Van Der Heijden-Zur Hellen: Maria was a Dutch-German painter from the Baroque period who was most famous for painting portraits of ladies from the aristocratic families of her time.
- Robert Zur Hellen: Robert is the former Chairman of the Swiss Tourism Board, which promotes travel to Switzerland from both abroad and domestic locations.
- Ulrich Von Zur-Hellen: Ulrich was a German knight of great renown, who fought strongly against the invading Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. He is depicted in several statues and works of art in Germany.