Contents [hide]

Herman History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Herman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

Etymology of Herman

What does the name Herman mean?

The distinguished surname Herman is of very ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man."

Early Origins of the Herman family

The surname Herman was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.

One of the first records of the family was Hermann (fl. 1070), a hagiographer, probably a native of Lorraine, was the Archdeacon of Herfast, Bishop of Thetford, and helped him in his attempt to assert the jurisdiction of his see over St. Edmund's Abbey. 1

Hermann (d. 1078), first bishop of Salisbury, a native of Lorraine, was probably one of the clerks of the royal chapel under the Danish dynasty, and held that office when, in 1045, Edward the Confessor appointed him bishop of Ramsbury or Wilton, in succession to Brihtwold. 1

Early History of the Herman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herman research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1621, 1625, 1643, 1646, 1650, 1664, 1678, 1686, 1695, 1703, 1708, 1719, 1727, 1734, 1769, 1786, 1828 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Herman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Herman, Hermann, Herrman, Herrmann, Hörman, Hörmann, Hierman, Harmen, Harmand, Harman, Armand, Armant, Hermand, Arman, Erman, Ermann, Hearman, Hearmann, Harm, Harmsen, Harmson and many more.

Early Notables of the Herman family

Notable figures of the time with the name Herman were

Jobst Herman of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1625-1678), Count of Lippe, Sternberg and Schwalenberg
Augustine Herman, First Lord of Bohemia Manor (c.1621-1686), a Bohemian explorer, merchant, and cartographer
Moritz Hermann of Limburg, (1664-1703), Count of Limburg Stirum
Paul Hermann (1646-1695), German-born physician and botanist who for 15 years was director of the Hortus Botanicus Leiden

Herman Ranking

In the United States, the name Herman is the 727^th most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Herman is ranked the 1,565^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,803 people with that name. 3

Herman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Herman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nathaniel Herman, who landed in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1640 4
Margarita Herman, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4
Judith Herman, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4
Jane Herman, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4
Casper Herman, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Joost Herman, who landed in New York in 1709 4
Philippus Herman, who landed in New York in 1709 4
Jost Herman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 4
Johannes Herman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
Joh Leonhardt Herman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sebastian Herman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 4
Esteban Herman, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
Frederick Herman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 4
John G Herman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 4
Luring Herman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George Herman, who arrived in Arkansas in 1901 4
Gustav Herman, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 4

Herman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Herman Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Laurent Herman, son of Jean and Marie, who married Marie Agahte, daughter of Sébastien and Catherine, in Quebec on 7th October 1663 5

Herman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Philip Herman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Bernhard Herman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Catharina Herman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Elisabeth Herman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Henritta Herman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Karol Herman, who landed in Quebec in 1896
Nicola Herman, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1897
Nykola Herman, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1897
Panko Herman, who landed in Canada in 1897

Herman Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mr. Max Herman, Swedish settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Mrs. Rosa Herman, Swedish settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951
Mr. Fiszel-David Herman, Swedish settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951

Herman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Herman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Herman, (b. 1820), aged 22, English tailor who was convicted in London, England for 10 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1846 6
John Herman, aged 28, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sea Park" 7
Samuel Herman, aged 22, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sea Park" 7
Joseph Herman, aged 25, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sea Park" 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Herman (post 1700) +

Alexis Margaret Herman (1947-2025), American politician, who served as the 23rd U.S. Secretary of Labor
David Jon "Dave" Herman (1941-2022), American NFL and AFL professional football offensive guard
Paul Herman (1946-2022), American Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor, best known for American Hustle (2013), Heat (1995) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Robin Herman (1951-2022), American writer and journalist, the first female sports journalist for The New York Times
William Herman, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 34th District, 1938
William Herman, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 1st District, 1926
W. C. Herman, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Dakota, 1932
Tom Herman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2008
Samuel Herman, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Bronx County 3rd District, 1930
Ruth Herman, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1972
... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Herman family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Harold Herman, British Chief Petty Officer Cook, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 8

Monongah Mine

Mr. Jonathan Herman (b. 1871), "Harriman", Greek coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah Mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 9

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Albert Herman, English Able-Bodied Seaman from Litherland, Lancashire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 10

RMS Titanic

Mr. Samuel Herman (d. 1912), aged 49, English Second Class passenger from Yeovil, Somerset who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 11
Mrs. Jane Herman, (née Laver), aged 48, English Second Class passenger from Yeovil, Somerset who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 9 11
Miss Alice Herman, aged 24, English Second Class passenger from Yeovil, Somerset who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 9 11
Miss Kate Herman, aged 24, English Second Class passenger from Yeovil, Somerset who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 9 11

Triangle Waist Company

Ms. Mary Herman (b. 1871), Austrian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 12

Sources +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SEA PARK 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/seapark1852.shtml
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. Retrieved from https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire