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Surname von der Heiden - Meaning and Origin

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von der Heiden: What does the surname von der Heiden mean?

The last name von der Heiden is a German noble surname of aristocratic origin. The literal meaning of the name is 'from the heath', and it dates back to Late Middle Ages. The heath in this case was probably a place name, so it could be a reference to some region or locality where the family originated from.

The name von der Heiden is derived from the old German word 'heiden', which means a place of some level of wildness or uncultivated terrain. This was probably a common element in many old German family names, and it points to a rural origin for the family. During medieval times, there were a number of small farms, aristocratic estates, and villages located in outlying areas with less sophistication than locations closer to major cities.

The family itself is likely to have originated in the region of modern day Germany. Members of this family would have come to prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries, during the height of the Holy Roman Empire. The von der Heiden family may have contributed to the development of the local economy, held public office, or been part of the local aristocracy. The name then developed and spread across German speaking lands and remains in use in Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe to this day.

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von der Heiden: Where does the name von der Heiden come from?

The last name von der Heiden is most commonly found today in Germany. It is an aristocratic German name that is derived from the old German word “heiden”, which translates to “heathen”. The prefix “von” was added when the name became aristocratic. It is said to have originated in the city of Hanover in the 14th century, when a nobleman from Mecklenburg adopted it.

Today the von der Heiden name can be found all over Germany. This includes cities of Berlin, Hannover, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart, among many others. The name is also found throughout the United States, particularly in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida, due to the great waves of Germans who immigrated to the US in the late 19th to early 20th centuries in search of a better life.

Von der Heiden is a very distinguished name and the current members of the family have achieved success in many endeavors. For instance, the famous musicologist and sportsman Otto von der Heiden climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 1979, and there is also the international entrepreneur and innovator Frederik-Erik von der Heiden who has contributed to the development of several multi-million-euro companies.

Today, the von der Heiden name is still spread throughout Germany, Europe, and other parts of the world, with many present-day members of the family carrying on the name with distinction.

Variations of the surname von der Heiden

The von der Heiden surname originates from Germany, with variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin including von der Hehde, Vandeheid, van de Heide, vE Heyden, van der Hayden, Van de Heide, Van der Heyde, Von deh Heideon, and Von der Heyden.

The origins of the surname 'Von der Heiden' trace back to the middle High German word "heit" which means "heath" or "moorland". This can be translated to modern German as "von der Heide", which translates to English as "from the heath" or "from the moorland". At some point, the spelling of 'Von der Heiden' evolved into 'Van der Heyde' or 'Van der Heide', indicating that a family who had been living near a patch of moorland or heath moved away from their geographical location to a new place.

The surnames 'Van de Heide' and 'Von deh Heideon' are supposed to be variants of the surname Von der Heiden, although there is disagreement about the accuracy of this. 'Van de Heide' may be Dutch in origin, reflecting the close connectioon between the Dutch and German language; while Van de Heide is Dutch for 'from the heath'. 'Von deh Heideon' is a variant of the German spelling and is thought to have originated with Dutch or German immigrants who settled in the United States.

The surname Van der Heyde is also believed to be a variant of the Von der Heiden surname, having been derived from the Dutch 'ver heide' which means 'from the heath' - a less formal version of the German 'von der Heide'. The 'Van der Heyde' spelling may be the result of anglicization of the original Germanic spelling.

Finally, the surname 'Vandehieden' is thought to be a variation of the original German 'von der Heiden'. This surname has been commonly found in the United States, and is probably the result of immigrants from Germany or Holland who changed their original surname to a more Americanized form.

Famous people with the name von der Heiden

  • Jakob von der Heiden: Jakob von der Heiden is a German entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Zalando, the largest European online fashion platform.
  • Wolfgang von der Heiden: Wolfgang von der Heiden is a German serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, having founded over 32 companies, including Hypertherm and Senetic.
  • Johannes von der Heiden: Johannes von der Heiden is a former German naval officer, the former president and CEO of Valero Energy, a Fortune 500 company.
  • Irmgard von der Heiden: Irmgard von der Heiden is a former German politician and the previous Governor of Lower Saxony.
  • Wolfgang von der Heiden: Wolfgang von der Heiden was formerly a German professional football player.
  • Verena von der Heiden: Verena von der Heiden is a Swiss Olympic bronze medal-winning ski jumper.
  • Sandra von der Heiden: Sandra von der Heiden is a German politician and the current Minister of Justice of Baden-Württemberg.
  • Ludger von der Heiden: Ludger von der Heiden is a German banker and the former CEO and current Chairman of the Board of WGZ Bank.

Other surnames

von der Heide

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