Surname Hedrich - Meaning and Origin

Hedrich: What does the surname Hedrich mean?

The surname Hedrich is of German origin. It is a locational name derived from the ancient and now largely forgotten German town of ‘Hedrich’, which is in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of the country. As with most location-derived surnames, it was first adopted by someone who had left their home and ventured to other places. The name itself is believed to have come from two elements – the Old High German element ‘Had’ which derives from the word ‘hadu’ meaning ‘battle or fight’ in Old Saxon; and ‘rich’ from the Latin ‘ricus’, meaning ‘rich’ or ‘wealthy’. The name Hedrich is thus thought to have originally meant a ‘person of battle’ and/or ‘a wealthy individual’.

Today, the surname Hedrich is found throughout Germany as well as in parts of Europe and the United States of America. It is particularly common among those of Mennonite or Amish ancestry who originated in the Hessian and Rhineland regions of Germany. This surname is also associated with certain family crests that can still be found in Germany today. It is thought that the original line of Hedrichs were very successful over the last several centuries, a fact that is still very evident from the abundance of people who carry this name today.

Hedrich: Where does the name Hedrich come from?

The surname Hedrich is most commonly found in Germany today. It is an ancient German surname, with roots that can be traced back to the mid-13th century in what is now the German state of Saxony. The name is derived from the Germanic element “hrod,” meaning “honor” or “glory.” It is also linked to the Old High German name “Hedric,” meaning “power and authority.”

The Hedrich surname is most frequently found in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria. In these states, it is one of the most common surnames. It is also prevalent in the United States, where it is often Anglicized to "Hedrick" and "Hedricks."

Hedrich family members were often nobility, holding the rank of baron or knight. Many belonged to the lower clergy, and some of the family branches were active in the political and social life of their time. It is believed that some of the Hedrichs today are descendants of those who left Germany for other countries and had their names changed in the process.

Today, the Hedrich name is kept alive by many in Germany and other countries around the world. It is a reminder of a proud family heritage and a reminder of a long line of strong and distinguished individuals.

Variations of the surname Hedrich

The surname Hedrich is a variation of the German surname "Hedrich," which is derived from the personal name Hadewig, or Hadewych. That name is composed of the Germanic elements "hadu" (war, battle) and "wig" (combat, struggle). The initial element had become (Hador, Hedor, Heidar, Hadar) and the second element (weg, wic, wig, wych) appears in numerous surnames.

The English spelling of Hedrich is often spelled Hedrick, Hardrick, Hedric, Heddrick, Hurick, Hedreich, Heidrich, Hedreck, Heddrich, Herdrick, Hedrew, Herderick, Hedrik, Hederick, Herdric, Huterick, Herdricke, Hedryck, Huric, Hurik, Herrick, Haeddrich, and Hardric.

The Dutch variants of Hedrich are Hederik, Hederyck, Heijderick, Heijderik, Hederick, Heijdric, Heijdrick, Heijk, Heiderick, Heideric, Heiderik, Hederyc, Heideryck, Heydrick, Heydric, Haiderick, Heideryk, Heydrick and Heydricke.

The French equivalents of Hedrich are Édouard, Édouart, Édouar, Édouar, Édouard, Édouar, Édouard, Édouart, Édouarts, Édouardes, Édouarda, Hedouard, Hedouars, Hadouar, Hadouars, Hadouard, Hadouards, and Hedouard.

The German forms of Hedrich are Heidrich, Heiderich, Heddych, Hedeche, Hehnerich, Heideroch, Hedelich, Helich, Heidelich, Hedelig, Heidinger, Heidrich, Hedig, Heidegger, Heydrich, Heidrick, Heiderick, and Heiderichs.

The Slavic variants of the name are Hadrich, Chaderick, Chadrick, Chadric, Chaderick, Chaderic, Chaderick, Chadryck, Chadryk, Chaderick, Chadryc, Hadryc, Hadric, Hadryk, Chaderick, Chadryka, Hadryk, Heideryck, and Chaderick.

The name Hedrich is compounded of two German words, hodor (battle, war) and wig (combat, fight) thus the literal meaning of the name is "battle fighter," and this is mirrored in many of its variants.

Famous people with the name Hedrich

• Eric Hedrich, Creative Director at Microsoft
• Aaron Hedrich, former US Navy officer
• Sebastien Hedrich, French filmmaker
• Peter Hedrich, Austrian professional snowboarder
• Alexandra Hedrich, German writer
• Paul Hedrich, American painter
• Alain Hedrich, Swiss army veteran
• Desmond Hedrich, Australian musician
• Sebastian Hedrich, German snowboarder
• Heinrich Hedrich, German historian

Other surnames

Hedrick