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Origin / History of the Hesse Name

Recorded in several forms including Hess, Hesse, Hesser, Hessing and Hessung, this is a Germanic surname.  It is arguably both tribal and residential, originating from the pre 10th century a.d. and believed to have originally described people who came from the region known as Hesse.  The translation of this name is the 'hooded people', but whether this referred to people who made hoods and other garments such as coats and cloaks, or whether they habitually worse such clothing, or whether 'Hesse' is a transposed meaning, perhaps for warriors who wore a particular type of helmet like a hood, is uncertain.  Most researchers have their own views, and all are different!

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