Helmut Surname History

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished German surname Helmut is thought to be of patronymic origin, deriving from the name of the father of the original bearer. There are no records that document the use of "Helmut" as a first name during the Middle Ages; thus, the name is probably derived from the Germanic personal name "Heilmut," which is composed of two elements: the Old High German "heil," meaning "healthy," and the Old High German "muot," meaning "spirit."

Early Origins of the Helmut family

The surname Helmut was first found in Saxony, where the ancestral home of the family is thought to be located. The earliest known bearer of the name was Andr. Helmut, who was a bookkeeper from Basel living in Radolfzell in 1478. The young Helmut family was instrumental during this formative time, figuring prominently in the early history of the region and contributing greatly to the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Helmut family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Helmut research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1491, 1494, 1591, 1746 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Helmut History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Helmut Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Helmuth, Hellmuth, Helmut, Hellmut and others.

Early Notables of the Helmut family

More information is included under the topic Early Helmut Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Helmut family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Georg Hellmuth, a Hessian mercenary who settled in Newfoundland after fighting in the American Revolution; Catharina Helmut, who came to New York in 1836.

Contemporary Notables of the name Helmut (post 1700) +

Karlheinz Helmut Förster (b. 1958), retired German footballer
Christoph Helmut Keitel (b. 1965), German physicist awarded the Gustav Hertz Prize in 2003
Günter Helmut Baumann (b. 1947), German politician
Helmut Osterloh (1967-2015), German pool player
Helmut Steinbrecher (b. 1896), German World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories
Helmut Jahn (b. 1940), German architect born in Nuremberg, Germany who immigrated to America and began to work at C. F. Murphy Associates in Chicago, a company that later became Murphy/Jahn
Helmut Siber (1942-2023), Austrian international footballer and coach
Helmut Berger (1944-2023), Austrian Golden Globe Award nominated actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters
Helmut Ringsdorf (1929-2023), German polymer chemist, known for his work in the fields of polymer chemistry, biology, physics and medicine
Helmut Kuhlmann (1940-2022), German politician, member of the Christian Democratic Union, he served in the Landtag of Lower Saxony from 1974 to 1998