Surname Hejl - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Hejl: What does the surname Hejl mean?
The last name Hejl is an Czech name. It is derived from the word “hajl” or “hajlovaty,” which are both terms used for someone who plucks or shears wool from sheep. The name was likely taken on by a family or person who made their living shearing sheep or through related trades, such as the textile industry.
The Hejl surname is also found in Germany, and there is speculation that the name may have originated there. Its meaning in German is closer to “hile,” which refers to a person who makes tools or weapons such as spears or lances. The name may also come from an old German word “heilig” meaning “holy.”
As this name has been around for many centuries, the origin of the name can be hard to determine. Nevertheless, it has been a part of some Slavic, German, and other European cultures for generations. These days, the Hejl surname is still common in some parts of Central Europe.
The spelling of Hejl can also vary. In some cases, the name is spelled Hejrl; while elsewhere it is spelled Heyle or Hyle. Overall, the name Hejl is a very old and significant name in Central European history. Its meaning has evolved over time, but it is still associated with wool, weapon making, and holiness.
Order DNA origin analysisHejl: Where does the name Hejl come from?
The Hejl name may be most commonly found in the Czech Republic, where the name is derived from the Czech word for “holly”. Among the Czech population, Hejl is a fairly common family name, with over 3,000 people registering it in 2019. It’s also quite well-known in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, though slightly less so than in the Czech Republic.
The Hejl name is only rarely found outside of Central Europe, though it does have some presence in the United States, Canada, and Australia, mainly due to Czech immigrants who settled in those countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. While more widespread today than ever before, the name remains strongly associated with the Czech Republic, and is unlikely to gain much more traction beyond its traditional European roots.
Variations of the surname Hejl
The surname Hejl has many variations in spelling and other surnames which have the same origin. These spellings and surnames include Hajl, Hájek, Hajlek, Hayle, Hayl, Hajlik, Haylik, Heigel, Hegle, Heagel, Heigl, Heigle, Heagel, Hejle, Hejli and Hejlik.
The surnames derived from Hejl are most commonly found in Germany where the surname has been derived from a local place of origin. This place of origin could be a house, field or village named Heigel located in the northern part of Bavaria, close to the Czech border. The surname has also been associated with Czech spelling, Hajl, which is the Czech equivalent of the German surnames ending -eck or -ig which is interpreted as ‘little or small’.
The variations in spelling for the surname Hejl could be due to the various cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the various populations. The changes in spelling may also have occurred due to the different languages spoken in the region in which the family resided, as well as the territories under the jurisdiction of various rulers or kingdoms. During the Middle Ages, families in this region would often adopt the language of their ruler, which would result in spellings becoming anglicized.
The surname Hejl is also associated with the Ashkenazi Jewish origin. The spelling of the surname may have changed to Hayl or Hajl to conform to the different language dialects and dialectical variations found in Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. It is also possible that Hejl is derived from a Slavic root word which could have originated from the Hebrew language, resulting in slightly modified spellings or variants of the surname.
Whichever the origin, all of these spellings and surnames are derived from the same surname, Hejl.
Famous people with the name Hejl
- Ben Hejl: an American football player.
- Filip Hejl: a Czech swimmer and three-times Olympian, winning numerous medals in his career.
- Milan Hejl: a Czech police general and retired football player.
- Miroslav Hejl: a Czech handball player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal.
- Miroslav Hejl Jr: a Czech ice hockey player and son of Miroslav Hejl.
- Peter Hejl: a Czech football player who was part of the Czechoslovakian national football team in the 1978 World Cup.
- Radek Hejl: a Czech historical photographer, documentalist and film maker.
- Tibor Hejl: a Slovakian lightweight judoka who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Tomáš Hejl: a Czech geographer who specializes in physical geography, environmental geography and evolutionary ecology.
- Vít Hejl: a Czech biathlete who competed at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and ranked as high as 8th place at World Cup races.