The

German surname Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname''). The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the " Western or ...

Hecht comes from house shields (cf.

herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...

). In

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

( yi, העכט) ''der hekht'' means

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between the ...

s. In modern German ''Der Hecht'' is the fish known in English as a ''

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

''. Notable people with the surname include:

Politics and Law

* Burton Hecht (born 1927), New York politician and judge *

Chic Hecht Mayer Jacob Hecht (November 30, 1928 – May 15, 2006) was an American Republican politician and diplomat who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1983 to 1989, and as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas from 1989 to 1993. Early life ...

, former U.S. Senator from Nevada and U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas *

Daryl Hecht Daryl L. Hecht (June 25, 1952 – April 3, 2019) was a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court and president of Iowa Trial Lawyers Association.

(1952–2019), American judge *

Evelyn Hecht-Galinski Evelyn Hecht-Galinski (born 1949, in Berlin) is a German activist, an outspoken critic of Israel's policies towards Palestinians and a member of the group European Jews for a Just Peace. She is a daughter of Heinz Galinski, a former president of th ...

(born 1949), Jewish-German activist * Greg Hecht, American politician *

Jon Hecht Jonathan Hecht is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 29th Middlesex district from 2009 to 2021. Early life and education Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Hecht spen ...

(born 1958), Massachusetts legislator, attorney and China law expert * Michael Hecht, birth name of

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

, British politician and leader of the Conservative Party from 2003 until 2005 *

Nathan Hecht Nathan Lincoln Hecht (born August 15, 1949) is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. A Republican from Dallas, Hecht was first elected to the Supreme Court in 1988 and was reelected to six-year terms in 1994, 2000 and 2006. He secured ...

, American judge *

Sue Hecht Sue Hecht (born December 7, 1947) is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She retired in 2011 after serving three terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Maryland's District 3A in Frederick Cou ...

, American politician

Academics

Daniel Friedrich Hecht Daniel Friedrich Hecht (8 July 1777 – 13 March 1833) was a German mathematician born in Sosa. He was a mine manager, then a teacher and finally a professor of mathematics. He is most notable for writing high school textbooks on math and geometr ...

(1777–1833), German mathematician *

Eugene Hecht Eugene Hecht (born 2 December 1938 in New York City) is an American physicist and author of a standard work in optics. Hecht studied at New York University (B.S. in E.P. 1960), Rutgers University (M. Sc. 1963), Adelphi University (Ph.D. 1967). D ...

(born 1938), American physicist * Friedrich Hecht (1903–1980), Austrian chemist and writer *

Frederick Hecht Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

, American pediatrician, medical geneticist and teacher (descendant of Sam Hecht, Jr, co-founder of

Hecht's Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores that operated mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States. The firm originated in Baltimore, Maryland. By 20 ...

) * Michael Hecht, researcher in human communication *

Selig Hecht Selig Hecht (1892–1947) was an American physiologist who studied photochemistry in photoreceptor cells. Life Hecht was born in Glogau, then in the German Empire (now Głogów in Poland), the son of Mandel Hecht and Mary Mresse. The family migr ...

, American physiologist and atomic energy expositor * Stefan Hecht, German chemist, professor at

Humboldt University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

Tobias Hecht Tobias Hecht (born 18 February 1964) is an American anthropologist, ethnographer, and translator. Hecht was born in Seattle, Washington. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1986 and his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology in 1995 from the ...

, American anthropologist, ethnographer, and translator (descendant of Sam Hecht, Jr, co-founder of

) *

Robert Hecht-Nielsen Robert Hecht-Nielsen (July 18, 1947–May 25, 2019) was an American computer scientist, neuroscientist, entrepreneur and professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, San Diego. He co-founded HNC Software In ...

, artificial intelligence and cognition theorist

Literature

Anthony Hecht Anthony Evan Hecht (January 16, 1923 – October 20, 2004) was an American poet. His work combined a deep interest in form with a passionate desire to confront the horrors of 20th century history, with the Second World War, in which he fought, an ...

(1923–2004), American poet * Daniel Hecht, American novelist *

Jennifer Michael Hecht Jennifer Michael Hecht (born November 23, 1965) is a teacher, author, poet, historian, and philosopher. She was an associate professor of history at Nassau Community College (1994-2007) and most recently taught at The New School in New York Cit ...

(born 1965), American poet, historian, philosopher, and author

Entertainment

Albie Hecht Albie Hecht is a film and television producer and media executive. In 1997, Hecht was the president of film and TV entertainment for Nickelodeon before becoming president of the television channel Spike TV in 2003. In 2005, he founded and was C ...

, former president of Spike TV and Nickelodeon *

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

, prolific Hollywood screenwriter * Erik Hecht, real name of German musician

Eric Fish Eric Fish (born Erik-Uwe Hecht; 28 May 1969), is the singer of German medieval metal band Subway to Sally. He performs also as a solo musical artist. History Eric's first musical merit was that of reaching the finale of a German Democratic Repu ...

Gina Hecht Gina Hecht (; born December 6, 1953) is an American actress. Early life Hecht was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of stage actress Pauline Hecht, and decided to embark on a career as an actress at the age of ten. After high school she ear ...

(born 1953), American actress *

Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was a m ...

, film producer *

Jessica Hecht Jessica Hecht is an American actress and singer who played Gretchen Schwartz on '' Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', and Carol on '' The Boys''. She has also made numerous Broadway appearances. Early life and education Hecht was born ...

, American actress * Larry Hecht (1918-2008), better known as

Larry Haines Larry Haines (born Larry Hecht; August 3, 1918 – July 17, 2008) was an American actor. Early years Haines was born on August 3, 1918 in Mount Vernon, New York. (Some sources say August 18, 1918, in the same city). He had been active in dramati ...

, American actor * Paul Hecht, Canadian actor

Sports

Duvall Hecht Duvall Young Hecht (April 23, 1930 – February 10, 2022) was an American competition rower and Olympic champion. Biography Hecht was born in Los Angeles, California. He received a gold medal in the ''pair without coxswain'' (with James Fifer) ...

, American Olympic champion row *

Gerhard Hecht Gerhard Hecht (March 16, 1923 – February 21, 2005) was a German boxer. Hecht fought for the middleweight championship against Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951. The fight ended when Robinson hit Hecht in the kidney, and Hecht could not continue. The f ...

(1923-2005), German boxer * Jeff Hecht, Canadian football player *

Jochen Hecht Jochen Thomas Hecht (born 21 June 1977) is a German ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player. He has been serving as assistant coach for Adler Mannheim since March 2022. Hecht played 833 games in the National Hockey League ( ...

, German ice hockey player *

Ladislav Hecht Ladislav Hecht (; hu, Hecht László ; August 31, 1909 – May 27, 2004) was a Jewish Czechoslovak-American professional tennis player. He won the gold medal in singles at the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, and won the 1934 Hung ...

(1909–2004), Czech-American professional tennis player * Michael Hecht, German soccer player *

Raymond Hecht Raymond Hecht (born 11 November 1968) is a German track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. His personal best throw is 92.60 m, achieved in 1995. This places him eighth on the all-time rankings. During his career, Hecht set fiv ...

, German javelin-thrower

Business

Ernest Hecht Ernest Hecht (21 September 1929 – 13 February 2018)Katherine Cowdrey"'Wise and witty' Ernest Hecht dies, aged 88" ''The Bookseller'', 13 February 2018. was a British publisher, producer, and philanthropist. In 1951, he founded Souvenir Press L ...

(1929–2018), British publisher * Lotte Irene Hecht (1919-1983), German-Canadian entrepreneur, founder of "The 1945 Foundation", a Canadian charity organization *

Robert E. Hecht Robert Emmanuel Hecht, Jr. (3 June 1919 – 8 February 2012) was an American antiquities art dealer based in Paris. He was on trial in Italy from 2005 to just before his death in 2012, on charges of conspiring to traffic in looted antiquities art ...

(1919–2012), American antiquities dealer * Reuben Hecht (1909–1993), Israeli industrialist. *

Sam Hecht Sam Hecht, born in London 1969, British industrial designer. Hecht and partner Kim Colin are the founders of a London design studio called Industrial Facility. Clients include Muji, Yamaha, LaCie, Emeco, Established & Sons, Issey Miyake, Epson, ...

(born 1969), British industrial designer * Sam Hecht, Jr., American retailer, co-founder of

Other

Abraham Hecht Abraham Hecht (Avraham Berl Hecht) (April 5, 1922 – January 5, 2013) was a Chabad-affiliated American Orthodox rabbi, and president of the Rabbinical Alliance of America – ''Igud HaRabanim''. Known as a "rabbi's rabbi" and a scholar of Torah, ...

(1922–2013), American Orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Emeritus of Cong. Shaarei Zion (largest Syrian community besides Israel). * Anton Hecht, English artist and filmmaker *

Erwin Hecht Erwin Hecht, O.M.I. (October 13, 1933 – November 19, 2016) was a Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, ...

O.M.I. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...

(1933–2016), German Roman Catholic bishop *

Estelle Hecht Estelle Hecht (died in 1971) was a Jewish Canadian engraver, painter and gallerist from Montreal, Quebec. She ran the print gallery Gallery 1640 which she founded in 1961. She studied at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal and was trained by dr ...

, Canadian artist and gallery owner *

Hans-Joachim Hecht Hans-Joachim Hecht (born January 29, 1939, Luckenwalde, Brandenburg) is a German chess player and twice the national champion. His first name is often abbreviated to ''Hajo''. One of his earliest international tournaments was the Kecskemét zona ...

, German chess grandmaster * Jacob J. Hecht (1924–1990), American rabbi * John Rudolf Hecht (1911-1988), Austrian-Canadian entrepreneur and Austrian Honorary Consul in Kanada, founder of "The 1945 Foundation", a Canadian charity organization * Joan Hecht, American writer and activist *

Józef Hecht Józef Hecht (14 December 1891 – 19 June 1951), also known as Joseph Hecht, was a printmaker and painter. Born and educated in Poland, he made Paris his base from 1920. Trained in classical engraving techniques, Hecht was a founder of "Atelier ...

(1891–1951), also known as Joseph Hecht, Polish printmaker and painter *

Kenneth Hecht Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores that operated mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States. The firm originated in Baltimore, Maryland. By 20 ...

, American public interest attorney, health and nutrition advocate (descendant of Sam Hecht, Jr., co-founder of

) *

(disambiguation) *

Lina Frank Hecht Lina Frank Hecht (1848 – September 5, 1920) was one of Boston's leading philanthropists. She founded several of the city's earliest settlement houses, most notably the Hebrew Industrial School for Girls. She was active in the Women's Educational ...

(1848–1920), Boston philanthropist *

(born 1949), Texas Supreme Court Justice *

Sigmund Hecht Sigmund Hecht (1849–1925) was a Hungarian-born American Reform rabbi. An immigrant to the United States, he served congregations in Alabama and Wisconsin before serving as the fifth rabbi of Congregation B'nai B'rith, the oldest synagogue ...

(1849–1925), Hungarian-born Reform rabbi in Montgomery, Alabama; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Los Angeles, California.

Hechtman

Gideon Gechtman Gideon Gechtman (1942 – November 27, 2008) was an Israeli artist and sculptor. His art is most noted for holding a dialogue with death, often in relation with his own biography. Biography Gideon Gechtman was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He moved ...

(1942, Cairo - 2008), an Israeli artist, sculptor *

Ken Hechtman Ken Hechtman (born December 16, 1967) is a freelance journalist and convicted drug dealer from Canada who achieved brief international prominence in late 2001 when Afghanistan's Taliban government charged him with being a United States spy while he ...

(born 1967), a Jewish Canadian freelance journalist