English
The surname Heart of English origin.It was a nickname meaning 'stag','deer',derived from the Middle English 'hert',Old English 'heorot',being used for someone bearing some fancied resemblance to the animal.The name may also derive from a tavern sign,a dweller by a certain sign would sometimes be labelled so.In Medieval England painted signboards were commonly fixed outside shops,taverns,and other establishments to indicate to the illiterate passer-by the nature of the services that were to be had within.Hanging signs became the most prominent feature of a business street.The surname Hart is known to have been an inn sign,most likely represented by a red deer.The Irish have used the name as an anglicization of the Gaelic name O'hAirt 'descendant of Art',a byname meaning 'bear','hero'.Jewish people have also used the name as an anglicization of like-sounding Hebrew names.The American poet Bret Hart (1836-1902) was of Jewish ancestry on his father's side.The name dates back to the tenth century were a Elfric Hort is recorded in historical archives.The name was brought to America predominantly by English immigrants.A Lieutenant General George Vaughan Hart fought in the American War of Independance,unfortunately for the British side.One of the first fore fathers to bring this name to America is that of a Joseph Hart,a wool comber,who came to America aboard the Mermaid,he settled in Maryland.This name is the one hundred and sixty-first most common name in America.