Surname Heinzelmeier - Meaning and Origin

Heinzelmeier: What does the surname Heinzelmeier mean?

Heinzelmeier is a German surname meaning "keeper of the hens". This surname likely arose as a descriptive name for someone who kept chickens or acted as a poultry farmer. It is a combination of the words "Henzel", an old German term for chicken, and "Meier", a variation of Meier, meaning "bailiff" or "mayor".

The use of the term Henzel is believed to originate from the early medieval feudal system, as chickens were kept by peasants for their own consumption and their surplus was sold to wealthier people. As such, the responsibility of maintaining the chicken coop and selling chickens likely fell to a specific individual. Eventually the surname Heinzelmeier would come to refer to this individual or the family of this individual.

The surname can also be seen in other German speaking countries such as Austria and Switzerland. It is not uncommon to find the name in other regions of Germany, such as the Rhineland, Bavaria and Hanover, where it would have been adopted by local inhabitants as they moved.

Heinzelmeier is a fairly rare surname, yet it is a vivid reminder of the past and of people devoted to their ancestral vocation of poultry farming. It still retains its basic meaning, but in a modern context it may also suggest an efficient manager, a custodian of resources or a devoted worker.

Heinzelmeier: Where does the name Heinzelmeier come from?

The last name Heinzelmeier is most commonly found today in Germany, where it is a fairly common surname. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 4,500 individuals in Germany who bear the name.

Heinzelmeier is a German patronymic surname, derived from the first name Heinz, which is a variation of Henry. The patronymic form ultimately derives from the Old German “Heimeric,” meaning “home ruler,” and is the old Germanic word for “ruler of the household.” The last name is thus derivative of the pre-Christian Germanic personal name Heimeric, and today is found mainly in Germany and among German immigrants to other countries.

The last name does appear in the United States, albeit in much lower numbers than in Germany, and it is most commonly found in the Midwest region of the country. For example, Heinzelmeier is a common surname in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi.

Heinzelmeier is also sometimes encountered in Scandinavia and other German-speaking areas of Europe. It is not a common surname throughout other parts of the world.

Variations of the surname Heinzelmeier

Surname variants of Heinzelmeier include Heintzelmeier, Heintzelman, Hintzelman, Heintzel, Heintzelman, Hintzelman, Hintzellman, and Hintzmann. All these surnames evolved from the same root name, which was developed from the term Heinzelmännchen, which means little people in German folklore.

Heinzelmeier is an occupational surname, derived from the German words heinz, meaning “little” and meier, meaning “lord of an estate”. This name would have originally been used to describe estate servants, and eventually came to be used as a family name.

Heinz, Heintz, Heinze, and Heintzel are some of the more common German spellings of the Heinzelmeier surname. Other variations of the surname include Heinzele, Heinzeler, Hainzle, Heintzler, and Heintzeler.

The surname may have arisen independently in several places in Europe, including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. As such, some alternative spellings may have evolved from different language dialects, such as Heinsen in Dutch or Heintzelemann in Swiss German.

Most derivatives of the surname Heinzelmeier are still used today in countries where German is spoken, usually with the spelling being somewhat preserved. As a result, it is a relatively uncommon name to find outside of Germany-speaking areas, particularly in the United States.

Famous people with the name Heinzelmeier

• Boris Heinzelmeier: German musician and composer, active since the early 1990s.
• Rob Heinzelmeier: American soccer player, who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.
• Robert Heinzelmeier: German physicist and meteorologist, known for inventing the Heinzelmeier barometer in the 1980s.
• Johann Heinzelmeier: Austrian actor and theatre director, active during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Wilhelm Heinzelmeier: Austrian art historian and curator, notable for his work on the Biedermeier period.
• Heinz Heinzelmeier: German actor, known for his roles in TV movies such as Der Belgier and Der Vorspann.
• Inge Heinzelmeier: German painter and illustrator, active since the 1940s.
• Martha Heinzelmeier: American painter, who is known for her landscape oil paintings.
• Otto Heinzelmeier: German diplomat and politician, active since the 1970s.
• Karen Heinzelmeier: Swiss botanist, known for her work on the study of alpine vegetation.

Other surnames

Heinzelmeir