Heintz
A German surname from the pet form of Heinrich, meaning “Henry’s son” in effect.
The #6,067 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,597 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Heintz is a German surname built from Heinz, a familiar short form of Heinrich. Heinrich itself comes from Old High German elements meaning roughly “home” or “household” and “ruler” or “power,” so the deeper sense is “ruler of the home.” In surname use, Heintz originally identified someone as “son of Heinz/Heinrich” or simply as a descendant of a man called Heinz.
History
The name was especially common in southern Germany and Switzerland, and it spread into German-speaking communities more broadly. Historical references also show it as one of several surname spellings built from the Hein-/Hain- pet forms. In English-language sources it has sometimes been compared with Hawkins as a rough functional equivalent, since both ultimately come from Henry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century writer noted that the shortened form Heinz had become so common in German that it even appeared in older proverbial or humorous expressions.
From the historical record
“Baumstark III. „stark wie ein Baum". Banrenfeind III. der „Bauemfeind", vgl. Joh. Purenfint 1348. Heintz v. Redwitz, Bawrn- feind genannt 15. Jh. FN. Baurenfeind; Paumfeindt (vermut- lich daraus des Übeln Sinnes wegen um- geändert: Bauemfreund) — Bauerfeind. Bax s. a) Bad (einst. £.) b) Bag (einst K.).”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen