Surname Höller - Meaning and Origin
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Rediscovering My Roots and Identity with iGENEA: Transforming My Perception of the Höller Surname
The results of my iGENEA DNA test entirely transformed my perception of my family name, Höller, and significantly influenced my family identity. Not only did it confirm my European heritage, but it reintroduced me to an expansive global family and fueled a stronger connection to my roots.
Y. Höller
read moreHöller: What does the surname Höller mean?
The last name Höller is an German name meaning "champion." During the Middle Ages, the Höller family was a noble family that defended their locals from invaders. The name was derived from the Middle High German word "Hölle" meaning "hero" or "heroic." As a result, those with the surname Höller are often viewed as courageous in German culture and renowned for their bravery.
Today, Höller is a well-known last name in Germany. It is even protected by the German municipality of Bavaria. There, those with the surname Höller are given the title of “Edler von Höller,” which means "noble from Höller." This title was bestowed upon them to honor the bravery of their ancestors in defending their homeland.
Höllers are found throughout Europe and North America. While the majority of the population bearing this surname resides in Germany, many individuals with the Höller surname have spread throughout the western world.
The Höller surname today is still associated with bravery and heroism. Those with the surname may be encouraged to take up causes that they feel require a champion's commitment. Truly, those with the last name Höller are proud to carry on a legacy of courage and strength.
Order DNA origin analysisHöller: Where does the name Höller come from?
The last name "Höller" is most commonly found today in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, as well as in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is also recorded in some smaller numbers in Europe, Scandinavia and North America.
The surname ‘Höller’ is derived from the German word ‘hulla’, which means ‘to protect’ or ‘to guard’, suggesting those with this surname may have been protectors or guardians at some point. It is a variant of the much more common surname ‘Holler’ or ‘Hohler’, which was used to refer to hollow, hollow-based objects or areas.
The first documented evidence of the last name ‘Höller’ dates back to 1276 A.D., when one Jossin Höller of Loessnich, Germany was mentioned in documents. From then, there is records of Nicolaus Höller and Johannes Höller who lived in 1612, notes of a Thoma Höller from 1715 and reports of David Höller from the 1700s.
The name then continued to spread over the centuries, with records in the early 1800s of the Höller family from the Hornberg area in Germany who had moved to the USA, and the popular Höller family from the Ubbehausen area in Germany who had emigrated to Canada in 1844.
Today, the last name Höller is still commonly found in Germany and Central and Eastern Europe, whilst it’s recorded in smaller numbers in Europe, Scandinavia and North America. It’s likely the name will continue to spread further afield due to immigration.
Variations of the surname Höller
The surname Höller is a variant of Haller, Holler, or Höllar, which are all derived from a similar Germanic or Old High German word. The variations of these spellings are likely due to dialectical differences from region to region throughout Germany.
Haller is the oldest recorded spelling of this surname. It was originally derived from the Proto-Germanic adjective “halla”, meaning “rock” or “stone”, and was used to describe someone who was living near a rocky place. From the Middle High German “haler”, it then evolved to “höller”, “haller”, “holler”, and “höllar” in modern German.
The surnames Höller, Haller, Holler and Höllar all have various spellings in other European and Scandinavian languages. In Swedish, the surnames may be written as “Homell”, “Hömell”, “Hall” or “Helle”. In Dutch, it may be written as “Hoele”, “Hoole”, “Halle” or “Hool”. In French, it may be written as “Holler”, “Hollard”, “Holder”, “Hollier”, or “Helliard”.
The variants and spellings of the surname Höller have been found in many countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark.
No matter where or what form the surname took on, all these variants and spellings were originally derived from the same Germanic root, and all descended from the same family tree.
Famous people with the name Höller
- Carsten Höller: Carsten Höller is a German artist, most famous for works such as Upside Down Mushroom Room and Mirror Carousel. He has exhibited his works extensively all around the world, from the Tate Modern in London, to the Serpentine Gallery in Berlin.
- Hinrich Höller: Hinrich Höller is a German artist, professor, and musician. He is most notable for his vocal performances on the accordion and for his various public art installations, which have received attention in cities such as Freiburg and Vienna.
- Tom Höller: Tom Höller is a German football manager. He is the current head coach of 1. FC Köln and has been in charge of the club since June 2020. He has also been the sporting director for the club since December 2018.
- Mathias Höller: Mathias Höller is a German engineer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Klippel GmbH, an acoustic engineering firm. He also has won awards for his contributions to the field of acoustics, such as the International Award from the Acoustical Society of America in 2003.
- Johannes Höller: Johannes Höller is a German pianist, conductor, and composer. He has conducted the Cologne Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, and the Gürzenich Orchestra. He his renowned for his interpretations of classical and modern works.
- Arnold Höller: Arnold Höller is a German painter and graphic artist. He is most well-known for his series of paintings entitled “Gestalt”, which were completed in the mid-1960s. He also has produced numerous print works, and the Stadtmuseum in Freiburg holds a large collection of fifteen of his works.
- Karl Höller: Karl Höller was a German baritone. During his career, he was highly acclaimed and performed the roles of several of the world's greatest composers, including Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi. He was particularly well-versed in the works of Mozart, which he often sang in both German and Italian.