Eggert
A German surname from an old personal name built on the element meaning “spear” or “edge,” often understood as “strong with the spear.”
The #6,296 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 56,891 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained as coming from an old Germanic personal name such as Egihard/Egihart or a related form, made from the element ag- or eg- meaning “spear” or “edge” plus a second element meaning “hard,” “strong,” or “brave.” In that sense, Eggert began as a personal name rather than a descriptive word or place-name. Later, that given name was inherited as a surname.
History
The historical sources connect Eggert with German and Frisian naming traditions, and one 19th-century source even glosses it as a kind of “formidable” or powerful old German name. Related forms appear across northern Germany and the Low Countries, which fits the broader spread of names built from the same Germanic elements. In modern usage, Eggert is especially associated with German-speaking areas and with emigrant families in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same old Germanic name family also gave rise to surnames such as Eckert and Eckhardt, showing how one ancient personal-name pattern could branch into many modern spellings.
From the historical record
“Lancs Eggett. A.S. Ecgheard; G. Eggert; p.n. (hard edge or point) Egginton. A loc. n., Derbysh. Eggleton. A loc. n., Heref.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)