Hess or Heß, a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

Ashkenazic Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

surname, meaning somebody originally from the region of

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

. Two alternative origins have been reported. Usage in the south of Germany may arise from a contraction of the

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...

''Matthäus''. Notable people who share this surname include: * Adam Hess (born 1981), American basketball player * Adam Hess (comedian), British comedian * Alexander Hess (1898–1981), Czechoslovak war pilot part of No. 310 Squadron RAF *

András Hess András Hess set up a printing press in Buda in 1472. He printed the first book in Hungary on 5 June 1473 in his Buda press. Hess was probably of German origin. He dedicated the book, the Chronica Hungarorum or Buda Chronicle ( hu, Budai Krónika) ...

, Hungarian printer * Beat W. Hess (born 1949), Swiss businessman * Bernhard Hess (born 1966), Swiss politician * Bernhard von Hess (1792–1869), Bavarian Lieutenant General and War Minister *

Carl von Hess Carl von Hess (7 March 1863, in Mainz – 28 June 1923, in Possenhofen) was a German ophthalmologist known for his work in ocular physiology. He studied medicine at the universities of Heidelberg, Bonn and Strasbourg, then traveled to Prague, whe ...

(1863–1923), German ophthalmologist * Catherina Hess, (born 1985), German actress *Damian Hess aka

MC Frontalot Damian Hess (born December 3, 1973), better known by his stage name MC Frontalot, is an American rapper and web designer. Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. His first successes came through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and ...

, nerdcore rapper *

Dean Hess Dean Elmer Hess (December 6, 1917 – March 2, 2015) was an American minister and United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who was involved in the so-called "Kiddy Car Airlift," the documented rescue of 950 orphans and 80 orphanage staff from t ...

(1917–2015), American Air Force Colonel *

Derek Hess Derek Hess is an American artist based in Cleveland, Ohio. His creative career grew largely out of his ability to express the emotion in the indie, hardcore, and metal scenes of the mid-1990s. From concert posters to politically charged fine art pi ...

, (born 1964), American artist * Elizabeth Hess (born 1953), Canadian actress * Elmar Hess (born 1966), German artist * Eric Hess, American wrestler *

Erika Hess Erika Hess (born 6 March 1962) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Switzerland. One of the best female racers of the 1980s, Hess had 31 World Cup wins (22 in slalom), four slalom titles (1981– 83 and 1985), and two overall titles ( 198 ...

(born 1962), Swiss alpine skier * Ernst Hess (1893–1917), German World War I flying ace *

Fred Hess Fred Hess (September 3, 1944, Abington, Pennsylvania – October 27, 2018) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hess was raised in New Jersey and studied at Trenton State College. His early experiences include studies with saxophonist Phil W ...

(1944–2018), American jazz musician *

Fred Hess (Wisconsin) Fred Hess (November 13, 1858 – November 7, 1925) was an American politician. Born in the town of Winchester, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Hess moved to a farm in the town of Dale, Outagamie County, Wisconsin. In 1888, Hess and his wife mov ...

(1858–1925), American politician * Fred J. Hess (1848–1928), American politician *

Germain Henri Hess Germain Henri Hess (russian: Герман Иванович Гесс, German Ivanovich Gess; 7 August 1802 – 30 November 1850) was a Swiss-Russian chemist and doctor who formulated Hess's law, an early principle of thermochemistry. Early li ...

(1802–1850), Russian-Swiss chemist *

Greg Hess Gregory D. Hess (born August 6, 1962) is an American economist, business executive, and former academic administrator. Hess served as Professor of Economics, Dean of the Faculty, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Claremont McKenna College ...

(born 1962), 16th president of Wabash College *

Hans-Georg Hess Hans-Georg is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Hans-Georg Anscheidt (born 1935), Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion *Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg (1583–1641), Field Marshal of Holy Roman Empire and the Electo ...

(1923–2008), German U-boat captain *

Harry Hammond Hess Harry Hammond Hess (May 24, 1906 – August 25, 1969) was an American geologist and a United States Navy officer in World War II who is considered one of the "founding fathers" of the unifying theory of plate tectonics. He is best known for his th ...

(1906–1969), American geologist *

Harry Hess Harry Hess (born July 5, 1968) is a Canadian record producer, singer and guitarist best known as the frontman for the Canadian hard rock band Harem Scarem. Hess has used his recording studio (Vespa Music Group) to work with many famous acts, ...

, American college sports coach * Harvey Hess (1939–2012), American lyric poet *

Heinrich von Heß Heinrich Hermann Josef Freiherr von Heß (alternatively: von Hess) (17 March 1788, Vienna – 13 April 1870, Vienna), was an Austrian soldier and field marshal, who entered the army in 1805 and was soon employed as a staff officer on survey wo ...

(1788–1870), Austrian fieldmarshall *

Heinrich Maria von Hess Heinrich Maria von Hess (19 April 1798 in Düsseldorf - 29 Märch 1863 in Munich) was a German painter, a member of the Nazarene movement. Biography Hess was born at Düsseldorf and brought up to the profession of art by his father, the engra ...

, German painter *

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...

(1877–1962), German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter * Hieronymus Hess, Swiss drawer, painter, caricaturist (1799–1850) *

Ilse Hess Ilse Hess (née Pröhl; 22 June 1900 – 7 September 1995) was the wife of Rudolf Hess. After World War II she became a well-known author. Family Ilse Pröhl came from a nationalist conservative family. She was one of three daughters of the wealt ...

, German writer (1900–1995) *

Jake Hess Jake Hess (December 24, 1927 – January 4, 2004) was an American Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer.McNeil, W.K., Ed. (2010). ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge. . Pp. 201-202. Life The son of "a sharecropper who was ...

, American southern gospel vocalist *

Jared Hess Jared Lawrence Hess (born July 18, 1979) and Jerusha Elizabeth Hess ( Demke; born May 12, 1980) are husband-and-wife American filmmakers best known for their work on ''Napoleon Dynamite'' (2004), ''Nacho Libre'' (2006) and ''Gentlemen Broncos' ...

(born 1979), American writer and director of ''Napoleon Dynamite'' * Jean-Chrisostome Hess (1816–1900), French composer, pianist, and organist * Jessica Hess (born 1981), American realist painter *

Johann Hess Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

(Hesse), (1490–1547), German theologian * John Jacob Hess (1584–1639), Swiss-German Anabaptist minister and martyr *

Karl Hess Karl Hess (born Carl Hess III; May 25, 1923 – April 22, 1994) was an American speechwriter and author. He was also a political philosopher, editor, welder, motorcycle racer, tax resister, and libertarian activist. His career included stints on ...

(1923–1994), American speechwriter and author * Karl Hess (painter) (1801–1874), German painter *

Leon Hess Leon Hess (March 14, 1914 – May 7, 1999) was an American businessman, the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets. Hess built an oil terminal in New Jersey after the Great Depression, building his first refinery i ...

Founder of Hess Corporation and the New York Jets franchise * Lyle Hess, (1912-2002) American sailboat designer *

Markus Hess Markus Hess, a German citizen, is best known for his endeavours as a hacker in the late 1980s. Alongside fellow hackers Dirk Brzezinski and Peter Carl, Hess hacked into networks of military and industrial computers based in the United States, Euro ...

, German hacker *

Martin Hess (politician) Martin Hess (born 11 January 1971) is a German politician for the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and since 2017 member of the Bundestag. Life and achievements Hess was born 1971 in the West German township of Hechingen and became a pol ...

(born 1971), German politician *

Michael A. Hess Michael Anthony Hess (born Anthony Lee; 5 July 1952 – 15 August 1995) was an Irish-born American lawyer, deputy chief legal counsel and later chief legal counsel to the Republican National Committee (RNC) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ...

(1952–1995), American lawyer *

Moses Hess Moses (Moritz) Hess (21 January 1812 – 6 April 1875) was a German-Jewish philosopher, early communist and Zionist thinker. His socialist theories led to disagreements with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He is considered a pioneer of Labor Zion ...

(1812–1875), Jewish philosopher and proto-Zionist *

Myra Hess Dame Julia Myra Hess, (25 February 1890 – 25 November 1965) was an English pianist best known for her performances of the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann. Career Early life Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 1890 to a Jew ...

(1890–1965), British pianist *

Nigel Hess Nigel John Hess (born 22 July 1953) is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to ''Campion (1989 TV series), Campion'', ''Maigret (1992 TV series), Maigret'', ''Wycliffe (TV se ...

, British composer * Ortwin Hess, British optician and physicist *

Orvan Hess Orvan Walter Hess (June 18, 1906 – September 6, 2002) was an American physician noted for his early use of penicillin and the development of the fetal heart monitor. Hess was born in Lackawaxen Township, Pennsylvania, Baoba, Pennsylvania. At ...

(1906–2002), doctor who invented the fetal heart monitor *

Peter von Hess Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess (29 July 1792 – 4 April 1871) was a German painter, known for historic paintings, especially of the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek War of Independence. Life Peter von Hess initially received training from his fat ...

, German painter *

Robert Hess (chess player) Robert Lee Hess (born December 19, 1991) is an American chess player who received the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM) in 2009. In May 2012, his FIDE rating was 2635, fifth in the United States. Hess is a commentator for Chess.com, covering event ...

, American chess grandmaster *

Robert Hess (college president) Robert Lee Hess (December 18, 1932 – January 12, 1992) was an American scholar of African history, and the sixth President of Brooklyn College. Personal life Hess was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, to Henry and Ada (Davis) Hess. He attended ...

(1938–1994), American President of Brooklyn College *

Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position unt ...

(1894–1987), Deputy Führer of Nazi Germany * Rudolf Hess (artist) (1903–1986), Californian painter and art critic *Sara Whalen Hess

Sara Whalen Sara Eve Hess (; born April 28, 1976) is a retired American professional Olympic medalist soccer player. Whalen played for the United States Women's National Soccer Team from 1997 to 2000, won an Olympic silver medal with the team, and was a foun ...

(born 1976), American Olympic soccer player * Ursula Hess (born 1946), Swiss archer * Ursula Hess (psychologist) (born 1960), German psychologist *

Victor Francis Hess Victor Franz Hess (; 24 June 188317 December 1964) was an Austrian-American physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics, who discovered cosmic rays. Biography He was born to Vinzenz Hess and Serafine Edle von Grossbauer-Waldstätt, in Waldstein ...

(1883–1964), Austrian-American physicist who discovered cosmic rays *

W. Dale Hess Walter Dale Hess (August 17, 1930 – October 22, 2016) was an American politician, farmer and realtor from Maryland. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, from 1955 to 1970. Early ...

(1930–2016), American politician *

Walter Rudolf Hess Walter Rudolf Hess (17 March 1881 – 12 August 1973) was a Swiss physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949 for mapping the areas of the brain involved in the control of internal organs. He shared the prize with Eg ...

(1881–1973), Swiss physiologist Nobel Prize winner *

Willy Hess (composer) Willy Hess (12 October 1906 – 9 May 1997) was a Swiss musicologist, composer, and famous Beethoven scholar. He achieved fame after compiling and publishing a catalogue of works of Beethoven that were not listed in the "complete" edition. He or ...

(1906–1997), Swiss musicologist, composer, Beethoven scholar *

Willy Hess (violinist) Willy Hess (14 July 185917 February 1939) was a German violinist and violin teacher. Biography Willy Hess was born in Mannheim on 14 July 1859. He commenced the study of violin when only five years of age with his father, who was a pupil of Lu ...

(1859–1939), German famous violin virtuoso *

Wolf Rüdiger Hess Wolf Rüdiger Hess (''Heß'' in German script; 18 November 1937 – 24 October 2001) was a German architect, the only son of Rudolf Hess and Ilse Hess (née Pröhl). Early life Born in Munich, Hess lived with his parents until his father’s flig ...

(Heß) (1937–2001), German architect son of Rudolf Hess

Notes

{{surname, Hess Ethonymic surnames German-language surnames Jewish surnames German toponymic surnames

See also

Notes