Surname Hemmerde - Meaning and Origin
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Hemmerde: What does the surname Hemmerde mean?
The last name Hemmerde is a German topographic name for someone who lived in or near a pine-covered hill or mountain. It is believed that the name comes from the Middle High German word "heme", meaning "pine tree", combined with the German word "erde" meaning "earth" or "ground".
The earliest occurrence of the name is from Northern Germany (around the area of Stade and Geestmünde in Lower Saxony), and by the early 16th century there were already branches of the Hemmerde family in that area. By the 19th century the surname had spread to various locations in Germany as well as to other parts of Europe, particularly to Prussia and the eastern German provinces.
As a result of the post-war fragmentation of Germany, in the 20th century the German surname Hemmerde was also carried by immigrants to the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. Today, members of the Hemmerde family can be found all around the world.
The meaning of the name Hemmerde is a metaphor for strength and companionship, symbolizing the importance of family, community, and culture. It is a reminder to strive for unity and to appreciate the value of having someone you can rely on.
Order DNA origin analysisHemmerde: Where does the name Hemmerde come from?
Today the surname Hemmerde is most commonly found near the North Rhine-Westphalia region of northwest Germany. A notable concentration of Hemmerde’s can be found in the areas near the cities of Bochum, Dortmund, and Duisburg. This is due to the fact that this surname was most heavily concentrated in the western region of Germany, near the Rhine and Dortmund region in particular, just before World War I.
Hemmerde is also found quite frequently in The Netherlands, where roughly 1,200 people carry the surname. This likely reflects the significant migration to The Netherlands since the industrial revolution, likely from the Rhine region of Germany.
The principle origin of the surname Hemmerde, or variants of the name, has been traced back to the end of the 12th century. The name was derived from a combination of the Old High German terms humer (meaning ‘muddy’) and hart (meaning ‘hard’). This indicates that the original holders of the name likely originated in a rather muddy, inside marshy territory.
These days, descendants of the Hemmerde’s have spread far and wide. They can now be found in countries including Britain, United States, France, Belgium, Poland, and Brazil. It is likely that the Hemmerde surname will continue to grow in population and spread across the world.
Variations of the surname Hemmerde
The surname Hemmerde (also spelled Hemmerd, Hammeide, Hemerde, Hemerede, Hemerde, Hemmerde, Hemmerder, Hemmerding, Hemde, Hemmerd) is a surname that has a German origin. The variants of the surname derive from the German word Hämmerd which is a derivative of Hämmer (hammer) and means roughly "with a hammer". Thus, the main variant of the surname reflects a derived meaning of "hammer worker".
Throughout its history, the surname Hemmerde has been anglicized in a variety of ways. In the United States, for example, the spelling variations may include Hamerde, Hammeide, Hemerde, Hemerded, Hemered, Hemmerd, and Hemmerde. In Great Britain it may be spelled Hemerde, Hammeide, Heimerd, Hemeredde, and Hammed.
The surname Hemerded has a presence in the Netherlands and Germany as a spelling variant. There are also some variations of the surname in France and Belgium, which are spelled Hömerde, Hommerde, Hömmerd, and Heemmerde.
In more recent times, the surname has been shortened to form different surnames, such as Hemmer, Hemerd, Hemmerding, Hamm, Hemd, and Hem.
Overall, the art and practice of adopting and exchanging surnames has created many variants of the same origin, in the case of the surname Hemmerde.
Famous people with the name Hemmerde
- Wolfram Hemmerde: German Army officer and chief of the General Staff. He participated in the Battle of Kursk and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
- Ernst-Robert Grawitz: German SS and medical officer who oversaw the Nazi concentration camp medical system and conducted human experiments on concentration camp prisoners.
- Reinhold Hemmerde: German Nazi Party member and mayor of Königsberg from 1933-1945.
- Carl Hemmerde: German Hoplite and classical philologist at the University of Greifswald.
- Heinrich Fabricius: German Jesuit priest who wrote an important work about liturgical music during the age of the Reformation.
- Joseph von Hemmerde: German jurist who served as a judge in the Royal Court of Prussia from 1868-1889.
- Maximilian Schmaus: German army officer who was director of the Maximilian Military Academy in Berlin.
- Hubert von Hemmerde: German diplomat who was the Imperial Austrian Minister of Finance from 1912-1914.
- Richard Hemmerde: German lieutenant general during World War I who served on the Western Front in Belgium.
- Alfred Hemmerde: German writer and journalist who wrote satirical works about the Bavarian and Prussian governments.