Heller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Heller

What does the name Heller mean?

Two of the most common types of Jewish family names are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Another common tradition for adopting surnames in Medieval Europe was to assume a name that described a personal characteristic or trait. The surname Heller was such a nickname; it was derived from the German word "hell" or the Yiddish word "hel," both meaning 'glowing' or 'light.' Those with light hair or skin would have assumed such a name. This name is also thought to have been used as a placename: Halle is a town in Germany. The Russian form of this name is Geller.

Heller Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Heller, Hellerman, Hellerstein, Helle and more. and others.

Heller Ranking

the United States, the name Heller is the 1,445^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Heller is ranked the 3,595^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Heller migration to the United States +

Heller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Atam Heller, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Wolff Heller, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Rudolph Heller, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1728
Christopher Heller, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
Johann Christopher Heller, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Heller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Heller, who landed in America in 1818 3
Peter Heller, who landed in North America in 1837 3
August Heller, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1839 3
Augustus Heller, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1839 3
George Phillip Heller, aged 29, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Heller migration to Canada +

Heller Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Ms. Elizabeth Heller U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 4

Heller migration to Australia +

Heller Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Heller, aged 16, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883

Contemporary Notables of the name Heller (post 1700) +

Dr. Harold William "Bill" Heller (1935-2020), American politician and educator, Member of the Florida House of Representatives
Gerald E. "Jerry" Heller (1940-2016), American music manager and businessman
Edmund Heller (1875-1939), American zoologist, President of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (1935-1936) and (1937-1938)
Dean Arthur Heller (b. 1960), American politician, United States Senator from Nevada (2011-)
Amos Arthur Heller (1867-1944), American botanist
Joseph Heller (1923-1999), contemporary American writer, who became famous through his novel "Catch-22"
Steven Heller (b. 1950), American art director, journalist, critic, author and editor
Dean Heller (b. 1960), American Republican politician, Member of Nevada State House of Representatives, 1990-94; Secretary of State of Nevada, 1995-2007 5
David N. Heller, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1899; Mayor of Elmira, New York, 1926-29; Candidate for Justice of New York Supreme Court 6th District, 1929 6
... (Another 32 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Heller family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Abram Heller (1872-1914), Belgian Third Class Passenger from Antwerp, Belgium who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 6
John Heller (1927-2014), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 7
Robert Jacob Heller Jr., American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 8

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew