Surname Herold - Meaning and Origin

Herold: What does the surname Herold mean?

The last name "Herold" is of Germanic origin and comes from the word "heriold," meaning "army commander." It is an occupational surname, referring to the role of a herald or messenger, someone who was responsible for making important announcements and carrying messages among nobility in medieval times. In old German societies, the herald was also an important military role. Over time, the spelling of the name has evolved and been anglicized to names like Herald and Harold. However, variants like Herold are still common, especially in Germany and Eastern Europe. It's worth noting that surnames' meanings can vary based on cultural and historical contexts, and it's also possible for the same or similar surnames to have different origins. This surname can also be found amongst Ashkenazi Jews, with its meaning tied more to someone who served as a herald in the Jewish community.

Herold: Where does the name Herold come from?

The surname Herold is of German origin and historically used to denote one who either was a herald or who acted out the role in medieval pageants and tournaments. The term herald originates from the Old English "here", meaning army, and "weald", meaning rule. Heralds were originally officers in the army, responsible for organizing tournaments and carrying messages between Knights on the battlefield.

As with many surnames of occupational origin, the profession has died out, but the surname persists, passed down through generations. Today, the surname Herold is most commonly found in Germany, but there are significant numbers in the United States and to a lesser extent in Austria, France, and Canada. Many descendants of German immigrants to the U.S. bear the name Herold. However, like with many immigrant names, the exact spelling varies widely due to transliteration from the original German. The distribution of the name is uneven within these countries; in Germany, for instance, the surname is especially prevalent in the Southeastern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Variations of the surname Herold

The surname Herold is considered of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word "heralt," which means "a herald" or "a messenger". The surname went through various spellings and modifications in various countries, leading to several variants. These changes were often due to local dialects and phonetic spellings.

Variations of the surname Herold include Harold, Harrold, Herald, Herrold, Heroldt and Herroldt. In some cases, the pronunciation of the name may have led to variants like Harald, Heraldo, or Hirald. The surname has also been anglicized as Herrold or Harold in English-speaking countries.

Furthermore, other spellings of the surname such as Herhold, Herolde, Heroldová, Heroldová (used in Czech regions), differ due to cultural implications and regional languages.

Sometimes, the names may also have additional characters or changes due to specific family traditions or nobility markers, such as von Herold or Herold-Ca.

Additionally, the Herold family name was also found in the USA, UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920.

It's also worth mentioning that the surname Herold could be Jewish (Ashkenazic) being either an occupational name for a herald or a habitational name from places in Saxony and Bavaria called Herold.

Famous people with the name Herold

• Lewis Powell (Lewis Thornton Powell), also known as Lewis Payne and Lewis Herold, was an American assassin who was one of the conspirators with John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.
• David Herold was an accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
• Zsolt Herold is a contemporary artist from Romania.
• Miroslav Herold is a Professor in the Department of Hydromechanics and Mathematical Modelling in Water Management at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
• Uwe Herold was the CIO of the German company SAP SE.
• Emily Herold is an NCAA volleyball player.
• Benjamin Herold is an education reporter for Education Week.
• Kazimierz Herold is a Polish graphic, poster and theatre set designer.
• Alexander Herold is a German operatic baritone.
• Margret Herold is a German former long jumper who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
• Andrea Herold is a Puerto Rican former volleyball player who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
• Lloyd Herold was a cricketer who played for Derbyshire.

Other surnames

Heroldt