Heffner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The Heffner surname comes from the Middle High German words "hafner," or "hafen," meaning "pot," or "dish." As such, Heffner was originally an occupational name for a potter.

Early Origins of the Heffner family

The surname Heffner was first found in Austria and southern Bavaria, where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early modern Europe. The family became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses. These played important roles in local political conflicts, in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Hugo Hafinare of Constance in the year 1158, Uli Hafner (Haefeli) of the Aargau region in 1490, and Hueglin Haffner of Kirchheim in 1406. Chronicles also mention an ancient branch of the family whose members were knights of the Kingdom of Styria from 1310 to 1478.

Early History of the Heffner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heffner research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1631, 1640, 1702, 1735, 1741, 1759, 1764, 1776, 1782, 1833 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Heffner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heffner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Haffner, Hafner, Haafner, Hafener, Haffener, Haeffner, Heffner, Haefner, Hefner, Haefeli (Swiss) and many more.

Early Notables of the Heffner family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Heffner were Enrico Haffner (1640-1702), an Italian painter of quadratura during the Baroque period, his father was from Switzerland. Phillip Hafner (1735-1764), was an Austrian lawyer who later became a dramatist. His numerous plays introduced good-humored farce to Viennese comedy and their influence was felt well into the next century. Otto Titan von Hefner, the son of Georg von Hefner, became famous as an authority on heraldry and related studies. In...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heffner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heffner Ranking

In the United States, the name Heffner is the 3,743^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Heffner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heffner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nickel Heffner, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738
Johan Geo Heffner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Johann Heffner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2
Lorentz Heffner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 2

Heffner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John G Heffner, who arrived in Maryland in 1810 2
Anton S Heffner, who landed in Colorado in 1882 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Heffner (post 1700) +

Kyle Troy Heffner, American television and film actor
Raymond Lorenzo Heffner (b. 1925), retired University Professor and former president of Brown University
Richard Douglas Heffner (1925-1956), American creator and host of The Open Mind, a public affairs television show first broadcast in 1956
Robert Frederic "Bob" Heffner (b. 1938), American Major League Baseball player
Donald "Don" Heffner (1911-1989), American Major League Baseball second-baseman
William Heffner, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Shreveport, Louisiana, 1867-69 3
Samuel F. Heffner, American politician, Mayor of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 1953-55 3
George S. Heffner, American Republican politician, Mayor of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, 1953-56 3
George R. Heffner, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1900 3
Mrs. C. E. Heffner, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1940, 1944 3
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html