Reinhardt
A German surname from the old Germanic personal name Reinhard, meaning “strong counsel” or “brave/firm in advice,”
The #2,973 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,607 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reinhardt comes from the old Germanic personal name Reinhard, a compound built from elements meaning “counsel” and “hard, strong, brave, firm.” In older surname dictionaries it is often treated as a German form related to the broader family of names behind Reynard, Reinhard, Reinhold, and Reginald. The exact nuances vary by tradition, but the core sense is that of a steadfast or brave counsellor.
History
The name is long established in German-speaking areas and later spread more widely through migration. English-language surname writers in the 19th and early 20th centuries commonly grouped it with related continental Germanic names rather than treating it as native English. Modern bearers are found across Europe and in immigrant-descended communities in the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
It belongs to a large medieval naming family that also produced the better-known given name Reinhard and the surname Reynard.
From the historical record
“Eng. Rieh. REINHARDT (Ger.) Mightily Firm or Brave [see Renard in Diet:] RENAUD 1 RPNfli II T ( ^^^ these Fr.-Teut. names in the RENAUT (Diet.; and Reynold, Reginald. REY (Fr.) King”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)