Surname Hirth - Meaning and Origin
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Hirth: What does the surname Hirth mean?
The last name Hirth is German in origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a habitational surname, which indicates that the family likely originated in a place named “Hirth” or with a place with a similar name. The word “Hirth” comes from the Middle High German “hirde”, meaning “swineherd” or someone who looks after pigs, likely indicating that the original surnames bearer was an agricultural worker of some kind. The “H” may also have originally been a “K” as Medieval German spelling was not standardised.
Originally, surnames were assigned to help distinguish between two similar people. For example, if someone was known as ‘John’ in a village, a second ‘John’ may have been referred to as ‘John the swineherd’ or John Hirth. The spelling of the surname may have changed over time depending on the language and dialect of the region, though the basic meaning of the name is likely to have stayed the same.
Today, the name Hirth is most common around Germany, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. Those with the surname can trace their lineage back to historic German lands, a direct link to an ancestor that was likely an agricultural worker from centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisHirth: Where does the name Hirth come from?
The last name Hirth is most commonly seen today in the United States and Germany. It is a German surname, and one of the earliest known mentions of this name being used was in 1357 in a Bavarian region of Germany. Hirth could be a variation of the name Hertz meaning brave or strong hearted.
It is believed that the name was taken to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. The largest number of people with this surname are living in Pennsylvania today and can be found in numerous other states including New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, and California. This name is also fairly common in Germany, with the highest concentrations of the Hirth surname located in the Bavarian region as well as the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.
The Hirth surname can also be seen today in Austria, Canada, Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, and South Africa. It is not particularly common in other parts of the world, with the largest percentage of individuals with this name living in the United States and Germany.
Variations of the surname Hirth
The surname Hirth is an occupational name, derived from the Old German word “Hirte” which means "shepherd". During the Middle Ages, many families lived in the same area so the same surname was often carried by related members of the family. As a result, spellings, variants and surnames of the same origin have developed over the centuries.
The main variant spellings of Hirth include Herth, Hürth, Heerdt, Heerd, Hirdt, Hirt, Hürrt, Hirden, Hördt and Hörden. Other spellings include the Dutch Hertogh and the German Hurth.
Variants for the same origin include Hörster, Hilbert, Hart, Harte and Hertz. In some cases, the surname has undergone changes when languages or cultures within a country have changed. For example, when the name entered English, it was sometimes changed to Hurst.
Surnames of the same origin include Hirte, Hirten, Hürt, Hirtz and Hürten. These variants are derived from the Old German word for “shepherd”.
The spelling and variants of the surname Hirth are still widely used in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.
Famous people with the name Hirth
- Tim Hirth: An American two-time Olympic skeet shooter
- Kari Hirth: An American actor and young entrepreneur
- Bruce Hirth: An American theoretical physicist
- Edmund Hirth: An American organic chemist
- Brandt Hirth: An American aviator and designer of the Hirth F-33 aircraft
- Oswald Hirth: An American physician and author of several medical books
- Frederic Hirth: An American physician and founder of the Pathe company
- August Hirth: An American botanist and author of several books on systematics
- Adele Hirth: An American philanthropist and art collector
- John Hirth: An American former professional baseball player