Surname Heye - Meaning and Origin
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Heye: What does the surname Heye mean?
The surname Heye is of Dutch origin, and derives from the word "Hey", which means hedge, enclosure, or boundary in old Dutch. The name is thought to have come from a person living near a hedge or boundary, or from a topological feature of the landscape such as a dyke or a causeway.
Generally speaking, the Heye surname is associated with the northern provinces of the Netherlands, especially those starting with 'F' or 'G' such as Friesland, Groningen, and Gelderland. Originally, the name was a patronymic, but eventually it evolved to become a hereditary surname.
Different spelling variations of Heye can be found in various Dutch-speaking regions, such as Heije, Hey, Heyen, Heij, Heijde, Heyne, Heins and Heide. However, the most common variant is Heye, or more rarely Heije.
Today, the surname Heye is still fairly common in the Netherlands and is also found in small numbers in Belgium, France, Germany, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as many people opted to leave their homeland for a new life in the New World during the 17th and 18th centuries. The name still retains the meaning of boundry or hedge in some European languages.
Order DNA origin analysisHeye: Where does the name Heye come from?
The last name Heye is found primarily in Germany and the Netherlands today. It is most frequent in the northwestern region of Germany, in both the state of Lower Saxony and the city-state of Bremen. In addition, it is found in some parts of the Netherlands, particularly in the eastern province of Gelderland.
The surname Heye is of Germanic origin, likely a variant of the surname Hey, which has a variety of spellings around the world. This surname is likely derived from the Germanic word for “high” or “noble,” which could have been used as an identifying feature among families of nobility in the region.
The occurrence of the last name Heye is much less common outside of Germany and the Netherlands. It is found in less than one percent of the population in the United States, primarily in the states of New Jersey, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In Canada, the surname is most often encountered in Ontario and Quebec. Furthermore, it is present in Australia, with the greatest concentration in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
In all, the surname Heye is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands as well as other countries with significant German-speaking and Dutch-speaking populations.
Variations of the surname Heye
The surname Heye is derived from German roots and has multiple variants and spellings. The most common variation is Heyer, Heije, Heijer, Hey, Heij, Heyen, Heien, Heye, Heyem, Heyerheide, Heyerick, Heijerik, Heyrik, Heijrick, Heyrich, Heyman, Heiman, and Heimans.
In the Netherlands, Heyer and Heijer are common variations, but in Northern Germany, variations such as Hey, Heyen, and Heien are more popular. The name Heye is Dutch in origin and its variants Heije, Heyen, and Heien have their roots in Dutch Low Saxon, Haits, Flemish, and German uses.
The surname Heye can be written as Heyerheide in Germany. Other spellings are Heyem and Heyman as a surname in Germany, and Heimans in the Netherlands. In Dutch, the surname may be spelled as Heijer, Heijerik, Heyrik, or Heijrick. In Flemish, the Heye variant may be spelled as Heyl or Heyrich.
In early Dutch records, the surnames are written in Latin as "Heyme" and "Heij" and in German as "Heym" or "Heyman". In the US, the surnames are often written as Heye, Heyer, Heyman, or Heymann.
Overall, the Heye surname is found with multiple spellings and variants in different countries, with the most common variants being Heyer, Heijer, Hey, Heij, Heyen, Heien, Heyerheide, Heyerick, Heijerik, Heyrik, Heijrick, Heyrich, Heyman, Heiman, and Heimans.
Famous people with the name Heye
- Jan Heye: German former footballer.
- Steve Heye: American screenwriter, producer and director.
- Jennifer Heye: Belgian television host.
- Nadine Heye: German volleyball player.
- Klaas Heye: Dutch speed skater.
- Hendrik Heye: German ergodic theorist and mathematician.
- Kim Heye: Dutch jazz singer and composer.
- Henne Heye: Dutch footballer.
- Pieter Heye: South African footballer.
- Robert Heye: German politician.
- Chris Heye: German photographer, film maker and music producer.
- Stephen Heye: American politician.
- Nico Heye: German football manager.
- Khaled Heye: Egyptian journalist.
- Libby Heye: American actress.
- Andreas Heye: German motorcycle racer.
- Marcel Heye: German hockey player.
- Zeinab Heye: Dutch singer.
- Enrico Heye: German footballer.
- Nuri Heye: Dutch footballer.