Herter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Etymology of Herter

What does the name Herter mean?

The family name Herter is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names of Britain. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a guardian of cattle or sheep. The surname Herter is derived from the Old English word hierdeman, which means herdman.

Early Origins of the Herter family

The surname Herter was first found in Norfolk, where Osbert Hirdam was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. A few years later, Simon le Hyrdeman was found in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1181 and John le Herdman, Walter Herdman were found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1

The Herder variant is very rare but in this case, Nicholas le Herder was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327; and John Hurder was listed in Somerset in 1333. The name is derived from the Middle English word "herden," or "hurdern," literally meaning "to take care of, to tend," from the word "herdman." 1

Early History of the Herter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herter research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1268, 1272, 1273, 1307, 1524, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Herter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herter Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Herter include Herdman, Herdsman, Hurdman, Heardman, Herder, Hearden, Herden, Hirdman and many more.

Early Notables of the Herter family

Another 25 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Herter family to Ireland

Some of the Herter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herter migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Herter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philipp Herter, who landed in New York in 1709-1710 2
Regula Herter, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 2
Johannes Herter, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Andreas Herter, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750 2
Anna Margaretha Herter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Adam Herter, aged 30, who arrived in Missouri in 1846 2
Adolf Herter, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Herter (post 1700) +

Albert Herter (1871-1950), American painter, illustrator, muralist, and interior designer
Blair Joseph Herter (b. 1980), American television personality
Christian Archibald Herter Jr. (1919-2007), American politician, diplomat, oil executive and academic, son of Christian A. Herter
Christian Archibald Herter (1865-1910), American physician and pathologist, co-founder of the Journal of Biological Chemistry
Gustav Herter (1830-1898), co-founder of Herter Brothers, American furniture makers
George Leonard Herter, American manager of Herter's Inc. sporting goods business and author
David Herter, American author
Christian Archibald Herter (1895-1966), American politician and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Christian Archibald Herter Jr. (1919-2007), American Republican politician, Administrative Assistant to U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon, 1953-54; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1956, 1960 3
Christian Archibald Herter (1895-1966), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 10th District, 1943-53; Governor of Massachusetts, 1953-57; U.S. Secretary of State, 1959-61 3
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html