Surname Haintze - Meaning and Origin

Haintze: What does the surname Haintze mean?

The last name Haintze is of German origin and is believed to have derived from an old Germanic personal name “Hantzo”. The name itself stems from the combination of two words; “hant”, meaning "hand/fight" and “zo”, meaning "lord/master/emperor". Therefore, the name “Haintsze” literally translates to “emperor of the hand/master of the fight”.

This name could symbolise an individual who was a master of the fight and a powerful and respected leader. The pendant “-ze” at the end of the name could also imply royalty or aristocracy, indicating the bearer of the name was of noble status and a respected figure within their community.

The etymological history of the name is further reinforced by the alternate spelling, “Heintze”, in which the addition of the letter “e” at the beginning of the name is significant in reinforcing the meaning of the name to “emperor of the fight/hand”.

Overall, the surname Haintsze is believed to have derived from an old Germanic personal name meaning “emperor of the hand/master of the fight”, implying a significant amount of respect, power and nobility within the bearer of the name.

Haintze: Where does the name Haintze come from?

The last name Haintze is most likely to be found in Germany and Austria today. In Germany, it is relatively frequent, ranking 3007th among German last names. There are approximately 5,400 are currently living with the last name Haintze in Germany.

The name was first found in Bavaria, and was likely to have spread south towards the Germany-Austria border and Thuringia. Today, it is also found in Austria, especially in the provinces of Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

The original spelling of the name was Hentsche or Hentzschel, with the 'H' pronounced like the 'ch' in the German word 'Acht'. It is thought to have meant someone who was of small stature, or perhaps a nickname for an able hunter. This has led some scholars to say that the original family of this name was of Saxon origin, coming from the earliest German tribes.

Haintze is also found in the English-speaking world, particularly in North America. It is thought that many of the families with this last name emigrated from Germany and Austria in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Variations of the surname Haintze

Haintze is a German and Dutch surname of patronymic or locational origin. It could have derived from the Old German personal name Hanno or Hannes, a short form of the Germanic names beginning with the element "hagan" meaning "enclosure".

Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Hanze, Hantz, Hanz, Hontz, Honze, Hainz, Hainze, Haincz, Hains, Haindz, Hainzes, Hainse, Haince, Haints, Haintsen, Haintze, Hainz, Hans, Hanzer, Hanser, Hainzell, Hannes, Hannze, Hawnce and Hawncey.

In some cases, the surname has also been further Anglicised to Hansey, Henshaw, Henson, Henshall and Hensel.

The name is predominantly found in Germany and The Netherlands, however variants have also been recorded in France, Austria, Switzerland and the UK. records from Hessia, Germany, for instance, show that Hensel Haintze married Anna Magdalena Fenk on the 24th October 1721 and Johannes Hainzell married Regina Werthmann on 16th October 1826.

The name may also have derived from residential origins, in which case it would have originally meant those “living at or near a corner or bend in a road”.

Haintze is also found as Hanse or Hansee in North America, although the origin of those names is uncertain. Some sources suggest they may be an Americanized form of Hanze or Hontz, others that they may be of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word “hansa”, meaning “guild” or “commercial association”. Records cite the bandleader and film composer, Harold Herman Hanse and the mystery writer, Robert Henry Hansee.

Famous people with the name Haintze

• Tina Hainz Manzke, German author and editor
• Marde Lõhmus, an Estonian journalist
• Gottfried Haintze, a German cathedral organist
• Russell Hainze, a British film and television actor
• Sir Robert Hainze, a British soldier, landowner, and member of Parliament
• Frederick Hainze, a Swiss-born American political scientist
• Theodor Haintz, a German mathematician
• Johannes Hainze, a German painter
• Eberhard Haintze, a German businessman
• Konrad Wilhelm Haintze, a German chemist

Other surnames

Haintz