Hess Family Crest & Name History

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Hess is usually a form of Hesse. Like many surnames, it began with a place: “From Hesse”.

• Without the “e” of Hesse, Hess is a simpler written form of the same name.
• The same family of names includes Hessler and Hessen.
• Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.

Hess coat of arms

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Hesse surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Hess family name pack.