Surname Eichelhard - Meaning and Origin
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Eichelhard: What does the surname Eichelhard mean?
The surname Eichelhard is of German origin and is derived from the Old High German and Middle High German words "eichel" and "harte"; these both translate to "hazelnut" and "hard" respectively, in English. It is believed that the name could have originally referred to a person who lived near a hazelnut grove or someone who was known to be particularly hard-working.
Primarily found in Germany, the name is uncommon in other countries. It is thought that families named Eichelhard were likely noble and wealthier than the majority in the Middle Ages, as hazelnuts were a high-value crop in Germany and were likely guarded or owned by those of higher social standing.
The Eichelhard surname is preserved in records such as baptismal registers, parish records, land deeds, and tax records. The earliest known ancestor of the surname is believed to be Werner Niderick, who was born in 1288 in Basel, Switzerland.
Today, the surname Eichelhard is still found in Germany, though it is considered rare. It is likely that the majority of those carrying the surname will be in some way related to the original Werner Niderick, and may even share his same bloodline.
Order DNA origin analysisEichelhard: Where does the name Eichelhard come from?
The last name Eichelhard is an ancient German surname that originated around the 15th century. It is one of the oldest surviving German surnames, and it is still fairly common in some regions today.
The last name can be found primarily in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, although there are small pockets of people with this name scattered across other countries in Europe. In Germany, Eichelhard is especially common in the Bavarian and Franconian regions, as well as the modern Alsace region. It is also found in the Hamburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Hesse regions.
In the United States, Eichelhard can be found in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Mississippi, Texas, and California, as well as Canada. South America also has some people with this last name in Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia. Additionally, Australia has some Eichelhard people living there, primarily in New South Wales.
Due to its prevalence in Europe, this surname has a variety of other spellings, such as Eichelhardt, Eichelhart, Ikelhard, Ikelhardt, Eklhard, and Eklhardt. All of these spellings are variations of the original German name.
Variations of the surname Eichelhard
The surname Eichelhard can be spelled in various different ways depending on the region of origin. Variant spellings of this surname include Eichalard, Eichhalart, Eggehard, Egghard, Eigalhard, Aichelhard, Aichhalart, Aigalhard, Aigghard, and Eigghalter.
The German version of Eichelhard is written with umlaut, making it "Eichelhärdt" or "Eichhärdt", and is pronounced in two syllables with a long "e" sound at the beginning, then a "k" sound followed by a long "a" - "eekh - haheerrt".
The Eichelhard surname originates in Germany where it is derived from the Middle High German words "eichel" meaning "oak" and "hart" meaning "hard". This combination of words can be interpreted as referring to someone either being from a place called "Oakville" ("Eichenhäuser") or as a nickname for someone with a very strong and persistent character in the same vein of an oak tree.
Surnames of a similar origin include trendy German names such as Adlerhard, Dammhard, Lammhard, Ziegenhärdter, and Frischhärdter. These names all contain the same elements derived from Middle High German terms solidifying a stronger meaning for being tough and persistent.
Famous people with the name Eichelhard
- Ben Eichelhardt: a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins in the late 1980s.
- Michael Eichelhardt: a German footballer who currently plays for Rot-Weiss Essen in the Regionalliga West.
- Mike Eichelhardt: a former NFL player who played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons in the 1980s.
- Ruth Eichelhardt: a classical concert pianist, born in Germany in 1926.
- Wolfgang Eichelhardt: a German physicist and the director of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg.
- Ferdinand von Eichelhardt: a German botanist who made significant contributions to plant systematics and evolutionary biology.
- Philipp Eichelhardt: a German lawyer and politician, a two-time member of the West German parliament.
- Hermann Eichelhardt: a painter and illustrator active in the late 19th century.
- Franz Eichelhardt: a German admiral in the German Navy during World War I.
- Johan Eichelhardt: a German zoologist and entomologist who was a professor at the University of Kiel, specialising in crustaceans and insects.