Herzog Family History

German: from the Middle High German title of nobility herzoge ‘duke’ (Old High German herizoho from heri ‘army’ + ziohan ‘to lead’ a calque of the Byzantine title stratēlatēs ‘general commander’ from Greek stratos ‘army’ + elaunein ‘to lead’). The name is unlikely to refer to descent from an actual duke; it is normally an occupational name for the servant of a duke or a nickname for one who put on the airs and graces of a duke.

This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Poland, Czechia, and Slovenia (see also 3 below). Compare Hertzog.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Herzog ‘duke’ (see 1 above). Compare Graf and Kaiser.

Germanized form of Slovenian, Croatian, Polish, and Czech Hercog: nickname of German origin (see 1 above) often applied as a translation into German of corresponding Slavic nicknames and surnames.