This list was so helpful this past week, helping Shannon narrow her search to find the origin of her rare surname Decouvy. I too have hunted endlessly to find the origin of the surname Higenell - Hiegenell- Huegenel - and any other variations. I don't know if it is even French or German? I know Pierre (Peter) Higenell, born circa 1754 and died in Trimbach, Bas Rhin 1785. He married Margaretha Fritz, and they had one son, Peter, born posthumously 1785. There is a clan of Higenells in Bischwiller, and there is a Peter Higenell born about the right time frame. However when I followed the line through, it proved not to be my line. This Peter in Bischwiller, b cira 1754 did marry and continued to have children past 1785. I was so hopeful at the time. Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated joan
Hi Joan, for me, HIEGENEL, etc. is rather of French origin: likely HUGUENEL - HUGUENEY, etc. (meaning "little Hugues"). A German origin seems very unlikely. You surely know that Bischwiller had a "Eglise Réformée française" = French-speaking Reformed Church, beside a German-speaking Reformed Church and a Lutheran Church. The French church gathered French Protestants who fled the persecution in France and settled in Bischwiller, during the period 1617-1621. Not surprising that there are so many French surnames there. Best wishes from snowy Alsace Etienne Le 18 janv. 13 à 18:22, Joan McCullough a écrit : > This list was so helpful this past week, helping Shannon narrow her > search to find the origin of her rare surname Decouvy. I too have > hunted endlessly to find the origin of the surname Higenell - > Hiegenell- > Huegenel - and any other variations. I don't know if it is even > French > or German? > > I know Pierre (Peter) Higenell, born circa 1754 and died in Trimbach, > Bas Rhin 1785. He married Margaretha Fritz, and they had one son, > Peter, born posthumously 1785. > > There is a clan of Higenells in Bischwiller, and there is a Peter > Higenell born about the right time frame. However when I followed the > line through, it proved not to be my line. This Peter in > Bischwiller, b > cira 1754 did marry and continued to have children past 1785. I was > so > hopeful at the time. > > Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated > joan