Hoorst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Hoorst. When hereditary surnames were adopted in this region, after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities were quite common. These "local" surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the use of the preposition has often long since been dropped from use. The Hoorst family originally lived near or in a hurst, which is a wood or thicket. Thus, Hoorst is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Hoorst family

The surname Hoorst was first found in Westphalia, where the name Horst contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation. The name appears in chronicles of 1292, which place Berthold von der Horst, a knight, at the family seat in the county of Recklingshausen. They eventually formed three main lines of descent: the von der Horst zu Horst, von der Horst zum Hauss und zu Milsen, and von der Horst zu Mudlinghoven und Hellenbruch. The names of these lines come from the intermarriage with the Hauss family, or from the name of the estates in their possession.

Early History of the Hoorst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoorst research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1664 and 1741 are included under the topic Early Hoorst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoorst 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 Hoorst include Horst, Horste, Horsst, Horsste, Horest, Horeste, Horstt and many more.

Early Notables of the Hoorst family

More information is included under the topic Early Hoorst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoorst migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Hoorst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Hoorst, who settled in Philadelphia in 1789