Surname Heyden - Meaning and Origin
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Heyden: What does the surname Heyden mean?
The last name Heyden is a variation on the German surname Haydn, which means "hedge." It is thought to have originated from a village near the German-Austrian border, perhaps as early as the 14th century.
The original name Haydn was derived from the Middle High German word hedin, meaning “hedge”, “fence”, “enclosure” – a reference to the practice of cultivating protection and privacy by planting hedges around living areas. It was likely worn by someone who lived close to a hedge or nearby an area surrounded by hedges.
In addition to Haydn, Heyden is another one of the original German surnames derived from the same word. It was most likely brought to England during the 16th century when large numbers of Germans fled to England to escape religious persecution.
It appears that the name, though not common, is still in use today, with the spelling of Heyden most frequently associated with England and Haydn more often associated with Germany. It is thought that both forms derive from the original “hedin”, and that the spelling of either form is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
Given its strong German origin, the last name Heyden is most likely to be found in Germany and other countries of Central- and Western-Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisHeyden: Where does the name Heyden come from?
The last name Heyden is a German surname that is mostly found in the countries of Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. According to the Forebears website, the last name Heyden is most common in Germany today, where almost 1 in 2,500 people currently bear the surname. In the United States, the last name is slightly less common, with slightly more than 1 in 100,000 people bearing the name Heyden. In the Netherlands, the last name is even less common at an estimate of slightly more than 1 in 350,000 people. Meanwhile, it appears that Australia has a slightly larger population of those bearing the last name Heyden, with an estimate of approximately 1 in 33,400 people having the surname. In Canada and New Zealand, the last name Heyden is slightly less than 1 in 100,000 people, with only 0.13 percent of the two countries respectively having the surname.
Variations of the surname Heyden
Heyden is a German-origin surname with variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin being Heideman, Heyde, Heyden, Heydeman, Heyden, Heyddeman, Heidding, Heidtman, Heidtmann, Heideman, Heidemann, Heitman, Heitmann, Heidemann, Haitten, Heiten, Heitten, Heydemann, Heidenreich, Heydt, Heiting, and Heitingen.
Heyden is derived from the Middle High German word, 'heitin,' which means to go astray or err. It was first used as a surname to denote someone who acted upon their whims and caprices or wandered far from home. The suffix 'man' or 'mann' indicates 'man' or 'person,' meaning that someone with the surname Heyden was likely someone who was an adventurer, seeking new horizons, or a vagabond who lacked a sense of direction or a fixed home.
Various spellings of this surname are now found all across the world, from Germany and France to Scotland, England, Australia, and the United States. In the United States, it is found as early as the 1700s, mainly among Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Dutch immigrant families. It also appears among the thousands of German immigrants who settled in Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas beginning in the mid-1800s.
The versatility of this surname has been seen through many of today’s generations of Heydens, who have adapted their surname to reflect their nationalities. For example, a man with the surname Heyden might also be known as Haideman in Ukraine, Heiding in Hamburg, and Heydt in Brazil.
Famous people with the name Heyden
- Julian Heyden: German actor
- Harry Heyden: former English footballer
- Bruce Heyden: Australian rugby league referee
- Brooke Heyden: Canadian singer-songwriter
- Micah Heyden: American drummer and composer
- Karen Heyden: Danish Olympic handball player
- Moises Heyden: Dutch DJ and record producer
- Martin Heyden: American soccer player
- Alan Heyden: British swimmer
- Isidro Heyden: French FIFA referee