Surname Hirshfeld - Meaning and Origin
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Hirshfeld: What does the surname Hirshfeld mean?
Hirshfeld is a surname of German and Jewish origin which was popularized by Jewish immigrants in England and the United States in the 19th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Jewish personal name ‘Hirsch’ (hirsch meaning ‘deer’ in German).
It is a combination of two elements, ‘hirsch’ and ‘feld’, meaning ‘deer field’. In Germany, ‘feld’ is the designation for fields which were set aside for hunters, who would go out in search of deer. Thus, the name is thought to indicate that the original bearers of the family name lived in a deer field, or were people who hunted deer.
Moreover, the name may also simply refer to the fact that the bearers of the name were associated with, or had a connection to deer and hunting, rather than being specifically a hunter or living near a deer field.
The name has since evolved in various forms across Europe, including ‘Hirschfeld’, ‘Herschfeld’, ‘Hirschfield’, and ‘Hirschfel’. Hirshfeld is a common surname today in both Germany and England, as well as in the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisHirshfeld: Where does the name Hirshfeld come from?
Today, the surname Hirshfeld is common mainly in the United States and Germany. In Germany, the Hirshfeld surname is primarily found in his home state of Bavaria, and is also quite prominent in many other parts of the country. In the United States, the Hirshfeld surname has a diverse presence, particularly in the northeast. In the states of Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island combined, there are around 694 individual occurrences of the surname and its various spellings. The name has a much smaller presence in the south, Midwest and western states.
Studies indicate that over the last 100 years, the Hirshfeld surname has had an overall increase in popularity in the United States. Primarily, this is attributed to increased immigration, as many individuals with the Hirshfeld surname are of European descent, primarily from Germany, Austria and Poland.
In the United States, the Hirshfeld surname is commonly associated with individuals in the entertainment industry, notably American comedians and entertainers Jerry Lewis and Lenny Bruce, both of whom were born with the surname Hirshfeld. German director Peter Hirschfeld is also well-known by this surname. Thus, the surname has seen some increased prominence in the U.S. due to these celebrities.
Variations of the surname Hirshfeld
Hirshfeld is a surname of German-Jewish origin. Its variants and spellings include:
Hirschfield, Hirscfeld, Hirschel, Hirshel, Herschfeld, Hershfield, Herschfield, Herschel, Herchel, Herschel and Herchelmann.
The Hebrew spelling for this surname is ‘חירשפעלד’.
Hirshfeld originated in Germany and is derived from the Yiddish word ‘Hersh’ (deer) and ‘feld’ (field). It is believed that the surname was originally given to someone who lived near a field with deer. It then came to be used as either an occupational or geographic surname.
Hirshfeld families can be found mainly in the United States, Canada, Israel, and other countries around the world where Jewish people have settled.
Variants and alternate spellings of the surname, such as Hershfield and Herchelmann, can also be found in some other countries.
Hirshfeld families have kept the tradition passed down from one generation to the other and are still recognized and respected as prominent members of the Jewish community.
Famous people with the name Hirshfeld
- Maury Hirshfeld: American film producer
- Alan Hirshfeld: American astronomer and astrophysicist
- Alan M. Hirshfield: American lawyer
- Erwin H. Hirschfeld: German-American attorney
- Uri Hirshfeld: Israeli banker
- Irwin Hirschfeld: American actor
- Fred Hirschfeld: German doctor
- Theo Hirshfeld: Israeli basketball player
- Frank Hirshfeld: American artist
- Henry Hirshfeld: Australian doctor