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Hecht Family History

Hecht Surname Meaning

German: from Middle High German hech(e)t ‘pike’ a metonymic occupational name for a fisher or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by a sign depicting this fish.

In some instances it may have been a nickname because of resemblance with a pike or perhaps given to a rapacious and greedy person.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Hecht or Yiddish hekht ‘pike’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Hecht family from?

You can see how Hecht families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hecht family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hecht families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 28 Hecht families living in London. This was about 50% of all the recorded Hecht's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Hecht families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hecht surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Hecht ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Ladies Tailor Baiste and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hecht. 34% of Hecht men worked as a Ladies Tailor Baiste and 65% of Hecht women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hecht were Refugee and Domestic.

View Census Data for Hecht | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Ladies Tailor Baiste
    34%
  • Ladies Tailor
    34%
  • Refugee
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Domestic Servant
    9%
  • Private Means
    9%
  • Domestic
    6%

What Hecht family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Hecht. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hecht census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hecht

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Hecht. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hecht immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Hecht. For the veterans among your Hecht ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hecht military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hecht family history

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What is the average Hecht lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Hecht life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Hecht in 1952 was 68, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hecht

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hecht ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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