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, from ragin, "counsel", and hard, "brave, strong". The fox Reinhart of the beast fables gave it extra fame. The surname occurs across Germany, with the -dt spelling more frequent in the south and the Palatinate.
Counsel and strength: the Reinhardt name
Reinhardt grew out of the personal name Reinhard, made of the Germanic elements ragin, "counsel", and hart, "hard, strong". As with many patronymics, a son of Reinhard came to be known by his father's name, and the -dt spelling is a later German writing habit.
It remains a mid-sized German surname: Forebears estimates about 45,000 bearers in Germany (ranked 151st) and 18,000 in the United States, close to the 2010 Census figure of 12,057. The jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, born in Belgium to a Manouche family, made the name famous worldwide, and the painter Ad Reinhardt did the same in American abstract art.
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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The complete Reinhardt pack goes much further: researched origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
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.
What does Reinhardt mean?
It comes from Reinhard, a Germanic given name meaning roughly "strong in counsel".
Is Reinhart the same name?
Yes, Reinhart, Reinhard and Rinehart are spellings of the same name; Rinehart is a common American form.
Reinhardt family history and famous bearers
Who else has carried the name? See famous people named Reinhardt. For research tips, read Reinhardt family history and genealogy.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Reinhardt (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.