Harwich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The ancient and distinguished German surname Harwich is patronymic in origin, deriving from the name of the father of the original bearer. The early German personal name Herwig means "battle-worthy," and was made popular through the "Gudrun Lied," a Middle High German epic poem written between 1220 and 1250 which featured a character named Herwig, the king of Zealand, Denmark. The name was common under many spelling variations in several areas of medieval Germany, such as Silesia (Harbig), Saxony (Herbig), and Swabia (Herweger).

Early Origins of the Harwich family

The surname Harwich was first found in northern Germany, where the name is thought to have first emerged. The earliest documentation of the name dates back to 1285, when Herwich kolere was recorded to be living in Stralsund in 1285. The name was first recorded as a surname in 1385, borne by Teml Herwich of Budweis. The young Harwich family was instrumental during this formative period, figuring prominently in the country's early history and contributing greatly to the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Harwich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harwich research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1385, 1427, 1638, 1696, 1785, 1817, 1845, 1855, 1858, 1875 and 1914 are included under the topic Early Harwich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harwich Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Herwig, Harwig, Harbig, Herbig, Herwegh, Herbing, Herweg, Harweg, Herwich and many more.

Early Notables of the Harwich family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harwich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harwich migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harwich Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Harwich, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)