At the Jewish Library in Stockholm there is a substantial book entitled “A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames.” The author lives in Berlin and is named Lars Menk. The book was printed in the late 1990s.
It likely lists almost all names and name variants, how they may have originated, and often where the original bearers of the names lived.
In general, it can be said that during the Middle Ages, actual (inherited) family names were extremely rare in all groups of society. As far as Jewish families are concerned, surnames began to appear as early as the 16th century, at least in larger cities and among the upper classes. Many of these names originate from city and place names.
In the countryside and in smaller towns, surnames hardly occurred at all. Instead, patronymics were used—that is, the father’s given name plus “son.” For administrative reasons, laws were introduced in the various German states requiring Jews to have specific hereditary surnames. In Silesia this law came as early as 1791; in other German states generally during the first decades of the 19th century.
According to Menk, the name Heilborn, as well as variants such as Heilbron, Heilbronner, Heilbrunner, etc., all derive from the city of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg.
Something About the City of Heilbronn
Heilbronn is located between Heidelberg and Stuttgart on the navigable River Neckar. It received city rights in 1281 but had been a trading center long before that. According to legend, there was a holy spring (Quelle) at the site, hence the name. “Bronn” is a formal word for “well” or “spring.”
As early as the early Middle Ages, Jews are said to have been active in Heilbronn and to have contributed significantly to the city’s development. However, they were expelled in 1476.
A Swedish connection is the Heilbronn League of 1633. It was an alliance of Protestant South German states established on the initiative of Axel Oxenstierna.
In 1944, the old parts of the city were destroyed by British bombing. Reconstruction began early after the war. Many old buildings were restored, and other development was adapted to traditional styles, something I myself could observe when I was in Heilbronn for business negotiations in the early 1960s.
(This contrasts with how Lower Norrmalm, like many other historic city centers in Sweden, was brutally demolished following decisions by historically ignorant and culture-hostile politicians.)
Today, around 120,000 people live in Heilbronn. The region is also known for the production of red wines.
How Old Is Our Family Name?
According to what we believe, the founding ancestor was born in 1776 in the town of Rosenberg (now the Polish town of Susz) in what was then Silesia. I am not aware of any concrete evidence for this, but nevertheless consider the credibility to be high. At the end of the 18th century, Silesia belonged to Prussia. Despite extensive googling, I have not found any historical information about Rosenberg.
As mentioned, legal requirements that Jews must adopt surnames were introduced around the year 1800 in several German states. At that time, Henrik was already an adult and was probably staying in Hamburg.
I consider it unlikely that he adopted the name “Heilborn” as a result of these newly introduced laws. We admittedly know nothing about Henrik’s parents or his upbringing. However, we do know that he was well educated, spoke several languages, and had friends in several European countries. One indication is that in a register from 1807 of Jews in Stockholm, Henrik is listed as an “informator” (tutor).
It is therefore likely that Henrik’s family had a social standing that allowed them to provide their son with a good education.
Menk thus claims that all families with names resembling “Heilbronn” also had some connection to that city in an earlier generation. I am, of course, speculating when I claim that Henrik’s ancestors may, for at least a few generations, have borne our current family name. There is evidence that “Heilborn” already appeared in Frankfurt am Main in the 16th century, but most place-derived surnames did not appear until the 17th century.
How Common Is Our Family Name?
“Heilborn” is not particularly common. In Sweden, as far as I know, there are two other families with this name. The name also occurs in Brazil and the United States. In his book, Menk lists the number of telephone subscribers in Germany in 1998 with the respective surnames. Sixty-eight were named “Heilborn.” Presumably, many of these have no, or as in our case only a fairly distant, connection to Judaism.
Other Family Names
Henrik’s parents-in-law were named Benjamin (which means “son of fortune”). According to Menk, this is a North German family name that occurs mainly in and around Hamburg, which fits well in this case. Other relatives bore the name “Magnus.” This name occurs primarily in northern Germany.
Etymology
“Born” is a poetic word for “well” or “spring.” “Heil” means, among other things, salvation, blessedness, happiness, prosperity, and health. Our name could mean “health spring” or something similar. If Menk is correct that there is an original connection to the city of Heilbronn, the interpretation would rather be “holy spring.”
Nov 26, 2009
Bengt Heilborn