Heine
A German surname that usually began as a pet form of Heinrich, meaning “little Heinrich” or “Henry’s son.”
The #6,681 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,089 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Heine is a German surname formed from the old personal name Heinrich, with Heino/Heine developing as a shortened, familiar form. In this sense it means something like “little Heinrich” or “descendant of Heinrich.” The root name Heinrich itself is Germanic and traditionally interpreted as “home-ruler.”
History
The historical sources point to Heine as a common German family name built from a short form of Heinrich, and related spellings such as Hein, Heine, and Heyne are all part of the same name family. It appears widely in German-speaking areas and also spread into neighboring regions through migration. The best-known bearer is the poet Heinrich Heine, whose fame helped make the surname especially recognizable outside Germany.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it comes from a pet form of Heinrich, Heine is not “short for Heine” but for the older given name Heinrich.
From the historical record
“Crockford (1891), p. xiivii. Heine Gl. Yeran, co. Salop. 1373. A. John ap Howell ap Jevon : VidL of Groncenetriiin (HarL ^.\ p. ■«. Howell ap Yeran. H. *^ '^”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instancesNotable people named Heine
- Heinrich Heine (1797–1856)
- Hilda Heine (b. 1951)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.