Reinhardt Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Reinhardt last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Reinhardt last name
Meaning of the Reinhardt last name: brave in counsel. Reinhardt comes from the Germanic personal name Raginhard, formed from ragin, "counsel, advice", and hard, "brave, strong". The name was common in the Middle Ages, and the fox Reinhart of the beast fables gave it extra fame. As a surname it occurs across Germany, with the -dt spelling more frequent in the south and the Palatinate, and Palatinate emigrants brought it to Pennsylvania in the 18th century. The beast epic of Reynard the Fox was known across medieval Europe, and the fox's name, Reinhart in German and Renart in French, became so familiar that in French renard replaced the old word for the animal. Variant spellings of the surname include Reinhard, Reinert and Rinehart. Large numbers of Reinhardt families emigrated to Pennsylvania and later to Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, and the spelling Rinehart became common in the United States. The name is also found in Switzerland and Austria.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Reinhardt name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Reinhardt name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Austria and Switzerland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Reinhardt name FAQ
What does the Reinhardt name mean?
Brave in counsel. Common variants include Reinhard, Reinert, Reinholdt.
Where does the Reinhardt surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Reinhardt coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Reinhardt crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Reinhardt coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).