Surname Liebhard - Meaning and Origin
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Liebhard: What does the surname Liebhard mean?
The surname Liebhard is a German origin name, derived from the given name ‘Liebhard’. Initially, the name derived from a male given name derived from the German words ‘lieb’, meaning 'love', and ‘hart’, meaning 'hard' or 'strong'. It can be translated to mean ‘dear, or beloved, and strong'.
The surname Liebhard can be found in records from the 18th century, and is primarily found in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It is generally believed to have come from regions where German is spoken, as this is typically the language of origin.
The name is of Patronymic origin, where it is derived from the personal name of the father of the initial bearer. Therefore, Liebhard would typically have been the surname of the son of someone named Liebhard or of a Liebhardt.
Liebhard is generally a more uncommon last name, with slightly less than 2000 individuals using the name worldwide currently. However, it has been steadily present for centuries, with a long-standing heritage in Germany and many regions with Germanic influence.
Order DNA origin analysisLiebhard: Where does the name Liebhard come from?
The surname Liebhard is most commonly found in Germany today. Statistics from EU Deutschland's database of active surnames estimated that as of 2018, there were approximately 1,417 people named Liebhard living in the country. It is most concentrated in the state of Bavaria, where it is estimated to be the 233rd most popular surname in the region.
The surnames appears to originate from the German word lieb (meaning “love”), with the suffix ‘-hart’ being added to signify a person with that quality. This has been the most common assumption by researchers, but it is not definitive.
It is also found in smaller numbers in neighboring countries such as Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. It has also been documented in Denmark, where it appears to be related to Austro-Bavarian immigration in the 19th century.
In the United States, records from Ellis Island show that the Liebhard surname was brought to America during the great wave of European immigration in the late 1800s. Today, it is found mostly in states with large populations of German immigrants, including Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, and New York. According to genealogy records, there are an estimated 800 people living today in the United States with the last name Liebhard.
Variations of the surname Liebhard
The surname Liebhard has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
The earliest recorded form of the name is Liebharo, which is a German name that was found in the Medieval Records of Germany. Its root appears to be the Old German leub and harti, which translates to mean “beloved or dear heart”.
The spelling of the surname has evolved over time and appears as Liebhard, Leubhard, Leubhart, Liebharter, Liebherr, Liebhart, and Leiphardt. These variations can be found in records in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other countries that are historically related to Germany.
The surname has also been adopted by other countries. In the United States, Liebhard is found in records as Libhart, Libhard, Liebhard, and Lehman, among others. In the United Kingdom, Libhard appears as Leibhardt, Leibhard, Liebhard and Lybhard.
The surname Liebhard is also found in other forms in other parts of the world. In Australia, the surname is found under the form Lienhardt and in Poland it appears as Libhardt. This is due to various groups of immigrants who adopted the surname as their own.
It is believed that the surname Liebhard dates back centuries and that it is most likely of Germanic, Austrian or Swiss origin. Despite its obscurity, evidence suggests that there could be many people from different parts of the world that still share the surname today.
Famous people with the name Liebhard
- William Liebhard: German/Swiss-American educator and publisher.
- Christoph Liebhard: Austrian politician, Andreas Liebhard's brother.
- Andreas Liebhard: Austrian politician, Christoph Liebhard's brother.
- Charles M. Liebhard: American WWII veteran.
- George Liebhard: American photographer.
- Robert M. Liebhard: American engineer and inventor.
- Johann Balthasar Liebhard: German organist and composer.
- Ignaz Liebhard: Bohemian theologian and abbot.
- Herman Liebhard: German ear, nose, and throat doctor.
- Eva Liebhard: Editor of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass".
- Bernhard Liebhard: Austrian mathematician.
- Joseph Liebhardt: German politician.
- Walter Liebhard: German botanist.
- Bernd Liebhard: German lawyer.
- Wilhelm Liebhard: German artist.
- Justina Liebhard: German painter.
- Pauline Liebhard: French painter.
- Wilhelm Liebhardt: German composer.
- Louis Liebhard: German bookseller.
- Johann Adam Liebhard: German Roman Catholic Bishop.