Surname Heider - Meaning and Origin
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Heider: What does the surname Heider mean?
The last name Heider is a German surname meaning 'lord of the house' or 'lord of the estate'. It is derived from the Middle High German word heid, meaning 'court', 'household' or 'estate'. It is believed to have originally been a title held by the local lords and landholders in the area. This word was then adopted as a surname for those who were lords of the estate or the house.
Heider is most commonly found in Germany and Austria, although it is also found throughout the rest of Europe. It has a strong presence in Germany, being the 204th most common last name in the country. It is also found in smaller numbers in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Heider can be an occupational surname, such as a steward of the house or estate, or it can be an hereditary reference to the position of lord of the house. It can also refer to an individual who was a descendant of a prominent lord or landholder. It is believed that those with the surname Heider may have come from ancient noble families or lines of hereditary lords.
The Heider surname is also often found alongside other German names such as Meyer, Schmidt, and Klein. In some cases, the last name Heider is also linked to the Jewish faith, with some people taking the name as a reference to the Ashkenazi Jewish word Heider meaning 'beautiful'.
Order DNA origin analysisHeider: Where does the name Heider come from?
The last name Heider is commonly found in German-speaking areas of Europe such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is also found in other Germanic-speaking countries such as the Netherlands. Census data from the United States reveals that the last name Heider is not overly common in the US, and is concentrated in the Midwestern and Northeastern states.
In Germany, Heider is particularly common in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, as well as Bavaria, Berlin, and Hamburg. It is also fairly common in Austria, with particular concentrations in Vienna and Styria. In Switzerland, Heider is mostly found in the cantons of Basel-Land and Zurich, but it is also seen in other cantons, especially in the German-speaking cantons. In the Netherlands, the last name Heider appears to be most common in the North and South Holland areas.
Outside of Europe, the last name Heider can also be found in parts of the United States, Canada, South America, and Australia. While the numbers may be small, it is obvious that people with the last name Heider are scattered across the globe. Bearing in mind the origin of the last name (German-speaking areas), it is likely that the last name Heider has been a part of family lines for generations, making it a great example of a surname that has traveled from one part of the world to the other.
Variations of the surname Heider
The surname Heider is believed to originate from the German word "Heide" which means "heathland" and the word "her", a German word for "army". This suggests the Heider surname would have originally been used to describe someone living in an area where heathlands were common or who served in the military. The surname has evolved over the centuries and can be found in various variants, spellings and surnames.
Heider is one of the most common variants of the surname, however it is also spelled variously as Hider, Haidner, Heidenreich, Hyder, Heidrich, Heitner, Heite, Heidke, Heitmann, Heidecker, Heitkamp, Heid and Heidenberg. Other variants include Hieder, Hydier, Heydt and Hieter.
The Heider surname is the most widely used version in the United States, however there are a few other surnames which have been derived from the same source. These include Hayer, Hearding, Heerding and Haydring.
Heider is also the name of several geographical locations, including towns in the Netherlands and Germany, as well as a region in Austria.
Therefore, the Heider surname has evolved over time in terms of variants and spellings, making it likely that those with the same origin have many surnames and spellings.
Famous people with the name Heider
- Johann Friedrich Heider: a German classical philologist.
- John Heider: American film director and producer.
- Philippe Heider: French politician and lawyer.
- Jakub Heider: Polish footballer.
- Eric Heider: American professional baseball player.
- Hermann Heider: German composer and organist.
- Josef Heider: Austrian sprinter.
- Anna Heider: German politician and entrepreneur.
- Paul Heider: American actor and dancer.
- Lucas Heider: German physicist and mathematician.
- Kubik Heider: Czech footballer.
- Emil Heider: Austrian classical philologist.
- Ladislav Heider: Czech water polo player.
- Annette Heider: Dahomean activist and leader.
- Andreas Heider: Austrian speed skater.
- Serge Heider: French basketball player.
- Jerry Heider: American swimmer.
- Jost Heider: German actor, writer and director.
- Justin Heider: American football player.
- Pierre Marcel Heider: Swiss baritone singer.