Surname Heiligtag - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Heiligtag: What does the surname Heiligtag mean?
The last name Heiligtag is a German name which means "Holy Day". It is derived from the Old German word "heilagtag", which literally translates to “holy day”. The suffix “-tag” is a common German suffix used to denote a specific day of the week or a time period. Therefore, the literal translation of the name Heiligtag is “holy day”, which could refer to either a day of a week or a specific holiday.
This last name could in fact be connected to a variety of faith-based holidays and days of the week in Germany. Many of these days may fall on a Sunday, such as the time in which Christ was born or the seven days of creation in the Book of Genesis. It could also refer to various feast days celebrated throughout the year, such as Easter or Pentecost, or days of fasting and contemplation such as Lent or Advent.
The name Heiligtag is a testament to the strong faith which was of the utmost importance to German citizens in medieval times. Due to the relevance of religious holidays in German culture, the surname Heiligtag would be immediately associated with a strong commitment to faith and its observance. The surname is still widely used in German-speaking countries today, although its significance may have somewhat changed over time.
Order DNA origin analysisHeiligtag: Where does the name Heiligtag come from?
The last name Heiligtag is most commonly seen in Germany today. It is derived from the German word Heiligtag, meaning “holy day” or “holiday”. However, it is not exclusive to Germany as it is also found in other countries including Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.
In the United States, the number of Heiligtag families is much smaller than it is in Germany, but it is found across the country in counties such as--Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, New York, California, and Virginia. Of the states that have Heiligtags listed, Pennsylvania appears to have the highest concentration of families. It is noted for having several churches and organizations bearing the Heiligtag name.
Due to its Germanic origin, the Heiligtag name likely has religious origins. There are churches and other religious institutions named after the term which include the Heiligtag Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, the Heiligtag Lutheran Church in Fontana, California, and the Heiligtag Chapel in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In recent years, some notable Heiligtags have included fashion designer Peter Heiligtag, who is the founder and chief creative designer of the Heiligtag label, and Julie Heiligtag, director of patient accounts at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City.
Overall, the Heiligtag name can be found across Germany and North America with a few notable examples outside of those areas. It is a name that is likely still rooted in its religious origins.
Variations of the surname Heiligtag
The surname Heiligtag has several variants in spelling, all variants related to the original German spelling. Variations of the surname include Halligtag, Heltig, Heltigag, Helteg, Heltegg, Heilgetag, Heylegag, Heylig, Heyligag, Heylegg, Heylig, Heyligag, Heylitag, Heylegg, Hyllig, Heleig, Hallig, Halig, Helig, Hailigag, and Hailtec. It is also related to the surnames Hellegat, Hellegs, Hellgare, Hellhasen, Hellegass, Hilleweg, HillTags, HillTheb, Hillebald, Hilleman, and Hillich.
Heiligtag is derived from a Germanic compound of two elements, heil and tag, the former derives from the Proto-Germanic phrase haila which meant “good” and “holy”, while the latter derives from the Old High German word tag meaning “day”. Thus, the literal translation is “holy day” and the surname can be roughly interpreted as “son of a holy day” or “descendant of a holy day.”
The surname is most commonly found in its German form, but there are also those who have the surname in other countries as a result of immigration. Those countries include the United States, Canada, Argentina, France, England, Poland, and Russia among others.
Famous people with the name Heiligtag
- Rudy Heiligtag: German-American professional footballer who played for Hansa Rostock in the German Bundesliga as well as VfL Wolfsburg, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
- Harry E. Heiligtag: United StatesAir Force major general who served as commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing, as well as commander of Army Air Forces Combat Crew Training School in the 1930s.
- Tobias Heiligtag: German amateur footballer who was a member of FC Augsburg in the German Bundesliga 2.
- Frieda Heiligtag: German actress and choreographer who worked in the theater and film industries.
- Urs Heiligtag: Swiss ice hockey player who played for HC Lugano in the Swiss National League A before moving on to HC Fribourg-Gottéron.
- Anna Heiligtag: German Olympic badminton player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
- Carl Heiligtag: German film editor who worked on films such as The BlueMax, Summer in Berlin and The Green Cockatoo.
- Richard Heiligtag: American lead singer with the Five Blind Boys of Wisconsin who released twelve albums in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Walter Heiligtag: Austrian artist who was a professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, Germany.
- Mathias Heiligtag: Austrian politician, who was the Minister for Science and Research from 2017–2019.