Surname Großheide - Meaning and Origin
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Großheide: What does the surname Großheide mean?
The last name Großheide is an occupational name derived from the German language that means “large heath.” The name refers to a person who lived or worked on a large heath, most likely a moor or heathland with vast stretches of heather. Anyone taking the name likely lived in or near such landscapes or was in some capacity connected to them, such as a farmer, hunter, or shepherd.
The surname is not especially common and is not found in large numbers outside of Germany, and is most common there in the northern and western regions. This is likely due to the fact that these regions still have a great deal of covered heathland, a sign of an area previously very human-free and untouched by modern civilization, something that is slowly changing.
The existence of the name suggests that the majority of people bearing it have ancestral roots tracing back to northern or western Germany, where heaths were and still are relatively common. Since the name is derived from the local geographical landscape, it is likely that traceability through genealogical records to the heaths or moors is quite common.
Order DNA origin analysisGroßheide: Where does the name Großheide come from?
The last name Großheide is especially common in Northern Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Großheide is derived from the German words for large and heath, with the heath, or heide, originally referring to a type of low-lying, heather-covered terrain common to the region. Historians believe that the name was possibly adopted by individuals who lived or worked near the heathlands at some time in the past.
In Lower Saxony today, the municipality of Großheide is located in the Emsland district, within the suburb of Esterwegen. The current population stands at around 400, with most residents being of German descent. The village is surrounded by a number of forests, making it an excellent spot for activities such as cycling and hiking. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the towns of Großheide and Kleinheide are located in the Siegerland region, between Siegen and Olpe. The population of Großheide is around 1500, with most people in the area employed in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
In addition to those in Germany, there are also many people with the Großheide surname living in other parts of Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While the exact origin of the name is not known, it continues to be a common last name in many parts of the world today.
Variations of the surname Großheide
The surname Großheide has several variants and spellings, as well as a few surnames of the same origin.
Großheide is a German name, deriving from a habitational name, meaning ‘’small heath’’ or ‘’big heath’’. Variants of the name include Grossheide, Großhiede, Grosshiede, Grußheide, Grusheide, Großheyde, Grossheyde, Kluhscheide, Krohscheide, Krohsheide, Kruseheide, Groscheide, Grosheide and Grosheide. All of these variants come from the placename “Grossheide”, which is found in several German regions.
Surnames of the same origin, which are related to Großheide, include Bethe, Berth, Berdhe, Bredeheide, Betteheide, Bettheide, Beerth, Beerdhe and Bertheide.
Other forms of the surname Großheide include Grossheidekuhn, Grußheidekuhn, Grusheidekuhn, Groscheidekuhn, Grosheidekuhn, Grosheidekuhn, Grosshiedekuhn and Grußhiedekuhn.
Großheide is popularly encountered in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, and to a lesser extent, in the United States and Canada.
Famous people with the name Großheide
- Franz Großheide: German Nazi SS officer during WW2 who held positions in the Gestapo.
- Wilhelm Großheide: a German impressionist composer and musician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Christian Großheide: German political writer and biographer from the early 20th century.
- Karl Großheide: German politician who became a member of the Reichstag in 1930.
- Johann Großheide: German historian who wrote several books focused on Prussia.
- Wilhelm Großheide: German architect and teacher of the first half of the 20th century.
- Else Großheide: German Catholic theologian and social activist at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Rudolf Großheide: German officer and politician who held important military positions during WW2.
- Willi Großheide: German singer and stage actor, famous for his performance of Verdi and Puccini operas.
- Friedrich Großheide: German painter and graphic artist known for his illustrations and woodcuts.