The ancient and distinguished German surname Herbig is patronymic in origin, deriving from the name of the father of the original bearer. The early German personal name Herwig means "battle-worthy," and was made popular through the "Gudrun Lied," a Middle High German epic poem written between 1220 and 1250 which featured a character named Herwig, the king of Zealand, Denmark. The name was common under many spelling variations in several areas of medieval Germany, such as Silesia (Harbig), Saxony (Herbig), and Swabia (Herweger).
The surname Herbig was first found in northern Germany, where the name is thought to have first emerged. The earliest documentation of the name dates back to 1285, when Herwich kolere was recorded to be living in Stralsund in 1285. The name was first recorded as a surname in 1385, borne by Teml Herwich of Budweis. The young Herbig family was instrumental during this formative period, figuring prominently in the country's early history and contributing greatly to the development of medieval German society.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herbig research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1385, 1427, 1638, 1696, 1785, 1817, 1845, 1855, 1858, and 1875 are included under the topic Early Herbig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Herwig, Harwig, Harbig, Herbig, Herwegh, Herbing, Herweg, Harweg, Herwich and many more.
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herbig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.