Show ContentsHehr Surname History

The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name Hehr comes from Ir. O'hlr means descendant of Ir.

Early Origins of the Hehr family

The surname Hehr was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Hehr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hehr research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1686, 1751, 1760, 1775, 1792, 1795, 1834, 1837, 1842, 1855, 1890 and 1964 are included under the topic Early Hehr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hehr Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Hehr has been spelled Hare, Hair, Hehir, Hehr, Heher and others.

Early Notables of the Hehr family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hehr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hehr family to Ireland

Some of the Hehr family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hehr migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Hehr family emigrate to North America:

Hehr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Rudolph Hehr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 1
  • Matthias Hehr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1772 1
Hehr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Hehr, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1842 1
  • Johannes Hehr, aged 23, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Hehr (post 1700) +

  • Kent Hehr, Canadian federal politician, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence (2015-)


  1. 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)


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