HARTMAN
Hartman is a surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word hart meaning hard or strong, and the suffix man meaning man. Consequently, the name can be interpreted as hard man or strong man, suggesting that it originally functioned as a nickname for an individual who was physically or mentally resilient, or as an occupational name for someone engaged in a demanding profession.
The surname appears in a wide variety of spellings across different languages. In England it has been recorded as Hart, Harte, Heart, Hart and Hartman. In German it is found as Hart and Hartmann. The Flemish and Dutch spelling de Herte is also documented, while the Swedish variants Hiorth and Hjorth are part of the name’s genealogical record.
Historically, Hartman was generally a nickname derived from the pre-7th century word heorot. In medieval usage this nickname could have been applied to a person who was a fast runner, or, in contrast, it may have denoted a person of considerable vigour, reflecting the robust humour of the era. The suffix -man (or -mann in German) sometimes indicates an occupational link, suggesting that the bearer might have been a friend or servant of Hart, or involved in a profession related to the name.
References to the name appear in early English documents. In the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, 1166, a certain Roger Hert is recorded, and in the tax rolls known as the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1194, an individual named Simon le Hert is mentioned. These early occurrences confirm the existence of the surname in medieval England.
In some cases, Hartman may derive from Irish roots. The Gaelic form O' hAirt comprises the element O', meaning male descendant of, and Art, a byname that can be translated as hero. This shows that the surname also has a distinct Celtic branch in its origins.
The name has a notable presence in early colonial history. John Hart, who departed from the Port of London aboard the ship "Phillip" bound for Virginia in June 1635, is recorded as one of the earliest settlers in the New World. The earliest documented spelling of the family name is that of Aelfric Hort, dated to about 1060, appearing in the Olde English Byname Register of Hampshire during the reign of King Edward the Confessor (1040–1066).
Typical given names associated with the Hartman surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Anthony
- David
- James
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Angela
- Carol
- Deborah
- Gillian
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Laura
- Louise
- Margaret
- Michelle
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hartman in...
Braille
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Morse
.....-.-.---.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 728 people named Hartman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,413th most common surname in Britain. Around 11 in a million people in Britain are named Hartman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hartman
- Kim Hartman - Actress
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.