HERMAN GREEN

English form of Hermann, from a Germanic personal name derived from heri, hari ‘army’ + man ‘man’. The name was in use among the Normans and was borne by many immigrants from the Low Countries in the 15th century. Perhaps because of that it continued in occasional use well into the 1700s. It was revived more generally in Britain in the 19th century, when it also became common in America, most probably as a result of the influence of German immigrants.

English: one of the most common and widespread of English surnames, either a nickname for someone who was fond of dressing in this color (Old English grēne) or who had played the part of the ‘Green Man’ in the May Day celebrations, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a village green, Middle English grene (a transferred use of the color term). In North America this name has no doubt assimilated cognates from other European languages, notably German Grün (see Gruen).