Hemmerle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancestral home of the Hemmerle family is in Austria, where the surname first emerged almost a millennium ago. The name Hemmerle is a contraction of the German "Hammerschmied," meaning "blacksmith," and was most likely first borne by someone who held this occupation. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the place name "Hammel;" in this instance, the name would refer to someone hailing from the town of Hammel.

According to Grimm and Forstemann, Hammer or Hamer is "a name under which traces of Thor are still to be found in the popular speech of Germany, and it is derived, no doubt, from the celebrated hammer or mallet which he wielded." 1

Early Origins of the Hemmerle family

The surname Hemmerle was first found in southern Germany and Austria, where the family became noted for its many branches throughout these regions. The first individual bearers of this name to be mentioned in ancient chronicles were "meister Hemer der smed (smith)" of Breslau, Silesia, in 1356, Hensl Hemerl of Iglau, Bohemia, in 1425, Ulrich Hamerl of Prague in 1390, and Nicolas Hamer of Worms in 1317.

Early History of the Hemmerle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemmerle research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1791, 1820 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Hemmerle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmerle Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Hemmerle include Hammer, Hammerer, Hamer, Hahmmer, Hahmer, Haammer, Haamer, Hammerer, Haemmerlein, Haemmerle, Hemmerle, Hammerl, Hamerl, Hemmerling, Hammerling, Hemerl, Hemer, Haemmer, Haemmerl and many more.

Early Notables of the Hemmerle family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Hemmerle were Baron Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, who was a famous linguist and orientalist. He spent 50 years acquiring a vast library of the rarest and most valuable works of oriental...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hemmerle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmerle migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hemmerle or a variant listed above:

Hemmerle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Barbara Hemmerle, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 3

Hemmerle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz Hemmerle, who arrived in Texas in 1844 aboard the ship "Joh. Dethardt" 3
Mrs. Marg. Hemmerle, (nee Becker), from Germany with 2 children who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Joh. Derhardt" in 1844
Anton Hemmerle, who landed in America in 1857 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Hemmerle (post 1700) +

Anton and Joseph Hemmerle, German founders of Hemmerle, a German jewellery house in Munich in 1893

The Hemmerle Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per labores ad honores
Motto Translation: By work and honour.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)