Show ContentsHerwegh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient and distinguished German surname Herwegh 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).

Early Origins of the Herwegh family

The surname Herwegh 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 Herwegh 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.

Early History of the Herwegh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herwegh research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1385, 1427, 1638, 1696, 1785, 1817, 1845, 1855, 1858, 1875 and 1914 are included under the topic Early Herwegh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herwegh Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Herwig, Harwig, Harbig, Herbig, Herwegh, Herbing, Herweg, Harweg, Herwich and many more.

Early Notables of the Herwegh family

Notables of the time included

  • Theodor Peter Herweg (1638-1696), a well-known priest from Hamburg, Joseph Harbig (1785-1845), a Silesian priest and school inspector, Georg Herwegh (1817-1875), a famous German revolutionary poet, St...

Migration of the Herwegh family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jacob Herwick Jr. who emigrated from Württemburg to Pennsylvania in 1750; Hans Michael Herwig, who settled in Philadelphia in 1764; Konrad Herwich, a Hessian mercenary who settled in America after fighting in the Revolutionary War.


Contemporary Notables of the name Herwegh (post 1700) +

  • Charles Herwegh, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1908 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook