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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Polish, German (Hettmann), and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) : from Polish hetman ‘military leader’ (a derivative of German Hauptmann ‘captain’), a status name for a military officer or for the elected leader of a community. In some cases, it may have been given as a nickname. As a Jewish name it is generally ornamental; the literal sense ‘military leader’ never applies.
  • Frisian : variant of Hett.

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