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Herbst Family History

Herbst Surname Meaning

German: nickname from Middle High German herb(e)st ‘harvest’. The modern German word Herbst has come to mean ‘fall’ the time of year when the harvest takes place. The exact application of the nickname is not clear; perhaps it referred to a peasant who had certain obligations to his master at the time of the harvest or it may have been acquired for some other anecdotal reason which is now lost.

This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Poland, Czechia, Croatia, and Slovenia. In part, it is a Gottscheerish (i.e. Gottschee German) surname originating from the Kočevsko region in Lower Carniola, Slovenia (see Kocevar).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Herbst ‘fall’, perhaps reflecting the season when the name was first taken or given. In some cases, it seems to have been one of the group of names referring to the seasons that were distributed at random by government officials when surnames became compulsory.

Compare Fruhling, Winter, and Summer.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Herbst family from?

You can see how Herbst families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Herbst family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Herbst families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 19 Herbst families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Herbst's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Herbst families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Herbst surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Herbst ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Herbst. 50% of Herbst men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Herbst | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Machinist
    17%
  • Clerk
    17%
  • Waiter
    17%

What Herbst family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Herbst. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Herbst census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Herbst

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Herbst. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Herbst immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Herbst. For the veterans among your Herbst ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Herbst military records

You've only scratched the surface of Herbst family history

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What is the average Herbst lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Herbst life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Herbst in 1944 was 24, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Herbst

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Herbst ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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