Herman
A surname from a medieval personal name meaning “army man” or “warrior.”
The #826 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,395 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Herman comes from an old Germanic personal name built from elements meaning “army” and “man.” In its earliest sense, it carried the idea of a fighting man or warrior. The name spread widely through continental Europe and entered English usage as a personal name and then as a surname.
History
The name is recorded very early in England, including in Domesday-era forms such as Hermannus. Nineteenth-century surname writers also noted that Herman could appear in English records alongside Harman, reflecting spelling variation and the influence of continental forms. In some cases, especially in Norman contexts, it may also be linked to family names brought over from France or the Low Countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early scholars pointed out that Herman could be difficult to separate from Harman in historical records, because medieval spelling was highly fluid.
From the historical record
“mund. The true English form is Aniline or Armyn ; Fr, Annand ; Dutch, Herman. ArmwidiM Is Cawer, eo. Ljnc, Hen. III-EdH. I. K. Armand de Anavi, 134S : FP. i. 356.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances