Heer (clan) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Jat Clan: Heer or Hayer
Distribution	Punjab (Pakistan) Punjab (Pakistan) Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the... , Punjab (India) Punjab (India) Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the... , Haryana Haryana Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south... and Rajasthan Rajasthan Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
Descended from:	Asl Jatt / Chandravashi Aryans
Branches:	Heer-Bhangu, Bhangu-Heera, Heera
Religion	Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... , Hinduism Hinduism Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions... , Christianity Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings... and Sikhism Sikhism Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
Languages	Punjabi Punjabi language Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language... and Haryanvi
Surnames:	Heer (ਹੀਰ, हीर), Heir/Haer/Her (ਹੇਰ, हेर), Hayer Hayer Hayer also spelled as Hayre or Haer is a Jatt clan found in India and Pakistan in the region of Punjab. This article concerns the historical clan.-History and origin:... (ਹੇਅਰ, हेअर), Hayre (ਹਰਿ, हरि), Hehar/Hehr (ਹੇਹਰ, हेहर), Heera (ਹੀਰਾ, हीरा), Heeran (ਹੀਰਾਂ, हीरां), Heran (ਹੇਰਾਂ, हेराँ), Har (ਹਰ, हर) Aheer Aheer Aheer is a Jat tribe found mainly in the western districts of Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan. -History and origin:The tribe is also known as Heer or Purewal depending on the dialect of the speaker. Those that tend to speak dialects of Lahanda, such as Seraiki or Pothari tend to refer to themselves... (ਅਹੀਰ, अहीर)

Heer (Punjabi

Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

:ਹੀਰ, Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

:हीर, Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

:ہیر) also known as Heir/Haer (Punjabi

Punjabi language

:ਹੇਰ, Hindi

Hindi

:हेर, Urdu

Urdu

:ہیر) or Hayer (Punjabi

Punjabi language

:ਹੇਅਰ, Hindi

Hindi

:हेअर, Urdu

Urdu

:ہیر) is one among the oldest and purest Jat gotra

Gotra

In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...

s (clans), along with Maan and Bhullar

Bhullar

Wrestling_at_the_2010_Commonwealth_GamesBhullar is a Jat gotra or clan found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan....

. It is found in the region of Punjab shared by India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

and Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

. According to Rig Veda, Maan belongs to Suryavanchi Aryans, whereas Heer belongs to Chandravanshi Aryans. Further Heers had maternal relation with Bhullars. In this way all three are interconnected. Heers had direct relationship with Bhullars and indirect relationship with Maans. Because of their first-hand relations with pioneers of jats, they are known as 'Pure Jats'.

Dilip Singh Ahlawat has mentioned it as one of the ruling Jat clans in Central Asia.
Bhullar

Bhullar

Wrestling_at_the_2010_Commonwealth_GamesBhullar is a Jat gotra or clan found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan....

, Sihag

Sihag

Sihag , Siyag , Sehwag , or Asiagh is a clan of Jat people found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab region in India...

and Maan vansha are related with Heers. Thousands of years before Christ Heer, Dahiya

Dahiya

Dahiya or दहिया, classically called the Dimures , is a clan of Jats and Yaduvanshi Ahirs found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in India.-Distribution:...

, Bhullar

Bhullar

Wrestling_at_the_2010_Commonwealth_GamesBhullar is a Jat gotra or clan found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan....

and Sihag

Sihag

Sihag , Siyag , Sehwag , or Asiagh is a clan of Jat people found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab region in India...

lived in Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

and Turkistan

Türkistan

*Türkistan is the local name for Turkestan, a region of Central Asia.*Türkistan, Kazakhstan is a historic city and place of pilgrimage in southern Kazakhstan...

.

Aheer

Aheer

Aheer is a Jat tribe found mainly in the western districts of Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan. -History and origin:The tribe is also known as Heer or Purewal depending on the dialect of the speaker. Those that tend to speak dialects of Lahanda, such as Seraiki or Pothari tend to refer to themselves...

also is a principal Muslim Jat clan found in various regions of Pakistan. There, it is considered as Muhamddian Jatt clan. Heer and Aheer hold a number of Jatt villages after their clan name both in Eastern and Western Punjab. Sir Denzil Ibbetson, in his book ‘Punjab Castes’ (published in 1883) has mentioned the Total population of Heer Jats as 23,851 (21,281 in British Territory and 2,570 in Native States Province). He has written that of the total number shown, 5812 was entered as Aheer

Aheer

, of whom 2786 were in Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....

. Further he has mentioned that ‘Aheer

Aheer

’ is merely another way of spelling ‘Heer’. They retained themselves as Aheer Jats, not as Aheer

Aheer

or Ahir by caste. Moreover as per Ghirshman, the Kushan King Heraus (Heraios

Heraios

Heraios was a clan chief of the Kushans , one of the five constituent tribes of the Yuezhi confederacy in Bactria in the early 1st century CE, roughly at the time when the Kushans were starting their invasion of India.Silver coins were made in the Hellenistic style and used the Greek writing...

) sat on their throne in about 20 B.C. also belongs to this clan.

The Maan, Heer, and Bhullar Jats are known as 'Asl' or 'Original' Jats, because they claim no Rájpút ancestry, but are supposed to be descended from the hair (jat) of the aboriginal god Siva. Dilip Singh Ahlawat has mentioned it as one of the ruling Jat clans in Central Asia.

History and origin

There are three main theories about the ancient roots of the word 'Jat' Viz.

"A race originated from 'the Jatas' of 'Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

and thus came to be known as Jats."
"Jat is a phonetic corruption of 'Yat' which is from the Sanskrit root -'ya' - meaning performer or protector of a Yagya."
"Jat originated from 'Yayati
Yayati
Yayati was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras ....

' who was one of the earliest ruler of Chandravanshi Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...

s."

In the eight generation of Krishna was King Ushinar whose son was 'Shavi', more popularly known as Shiv Ji. He married Sati Dakshayani

Dakshayani

Dākshāyani or Satī is a Hindu Goddess of marital felicity and longevity. She is worshipped particularly by Hindu women to seek the long life of their husbands...

and Parvati

Parvati

Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...

and had two sons Ganesh or Ganpati and Somi Kartikeya. Ganesh or Ganpati are not names but titles meaning head of a tribe. Jats have a big Gotra

Gotra

called Shavi. Iran

Iran

was once known as Shavi Desh as mentioned by Huen Tsang and Fa Hein Faxian

Faxian

Faxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kapilavastu in today's Nepal between 399 and 412 to acquire Buddhist scriptures...

in the account of their travels to India

India

. They have stated that through Tartar, Kashgar

Kashgar

Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...

and Pamir

Pamir Mountains

The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...

they reached Shavi Country. Some historians often consider Bhullar

Bhullar

Wrestling_at_the_2010_Commonwealth_GamesBhullar is a Jat gotra or clan found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan....

s as the descendant of Tartars. The Tartars admit themselves to be Chandravanshi. Abul Gazi, the Scythian historian, writes that the forefathers of the Turks were descendants of Tar Jatali, a Jat. According to Thakur Deshraj

Thakur Deshraj

Thakur Deshraj was a social worker, journalist, nationalist, freedom fighter and author of many books. He was from Rajasthan state in India. He was revenue minister in the princely state of Bharatpur....

, The Chandravanshi Aryans of India had habitations in Iran which were known as Jatali. He has referred General Cunningham who has mentioned the presence of Yayati Vanshi Jats in Jatali. This province got the name Jatali being the habitation of Jats. The language of these Jats is Jadgali (alternate names, Jatgali, Jatki, Jat). In or about 200 BC serious internal strife occurred in Turkistan

Türkistan

*Türkistan is the local name for Turkestan, a region of Central Asia.*Türkistan, Kazakhstan is a historic city and place of pilgrimage in southern Kazakhstan...

. Various tribes fought among themselves. Neung Nu, the Chinese historian writes that during these battles, a tribe known as Uti (Uchi or Yuezhi) was winked out of the country. Alexander Cunningham

Alexander Cunningham

Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India...

considers Jats of India

India

, Goths

Goths

The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....

of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

and Yuezhi

Yuezhi

The Yuezhi, or Rouzhi , also known as the Da Yuezhi or Da Rouzhi , were an ancient Central Asian people....

of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

as same people.

Shavi is remembered in Iran

Iran

as Prophet Shish. A shrine on his name is situated on the bank of River Tigris

Tigris

The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...

. A province of Iran

Iran

was called Shavisthan now known as Seistan. These Shavi People came to be known as Shavisthani, Shavisthans or Scythians. A great Scythian writer Abul Ghazi has called himself a Jat of Chandravanshi dynasty. He also writes that the mother of Scythians was the daughter of Ahilya Devi. There is also a village named 'Hir' situated in Ardabil

Ardabil

Ardabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 412,669, in 102,818 families...

province of Iran

Iran

.

In many books, there are references to the five main dynasties of Yayati

Yayati

Yayati was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras ....

, which spread far and wide in Northern India, Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

and Europe

Europe

and became known as Yayati

Yayati

, writers of Europe

Europe

an history have named them variously as Yayati

Yayati

, Ayati, Yati, Yucchi or Yeuchi or Yuezhi

Yuezhi

The Yuezhi, or Rouzhi , also known as the Da Yuezhi or Da Rouzhi , were an ancient Central Asian people....

, Jat, Jati, Jeets (Geats), Jutes

Jutes

The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...

, Gaut, Goth and Getae

Getae

The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...

Distribution

Heir, Hayer, Hayre, Hehar, Hehr, Haer, Heera, Heerey, Heeran, Heran, Her, Herr, Har, Heer, Aheer.

All these gotras originate from Heers. According to 1911 census of undivided Punjab, all these gotras were under the common surname i.e. Heer. Division of this gotra in various similar surnames mainly starts after the Indo-Pak partition. This happened because of Language/Pronunciation difference along the various areas. There were number of villages named after Heers, both in Eastern Punjab

East Punjab

East Punjab was the part of the Punjab region that went to India following the Partition of the Punjab Province of British India between India and Pakistan in 1947...

and Western Punjab

West Punjab

West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...

. During the Mughal Empire

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

, many Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

Heer Jats adopted Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

and further during the Sikh

Sikh

A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...

Era many of them adopted Sikhism

Sikhism

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...

. Most of the Hindu

Hindu

, Sikh

Sikh

and Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

Jats belonging to Heer Gotra

Gotra

were residing in Doaba

Doaba

Doaba is the region of Indian Punjab surrounded by the rivers Beas and Sutlej. The name "Doaba" literally translates to "land of two rivers" . It is one of the most fertile regions of the world, and was the centre of the Green Revolution in India.Scheduled castes form more than 35% of the...

and Majha

Majha

Majha is a region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab. The term previously applied to Panjabis living north of the Sutlej...

areas.

Majha

Majha

is a historical region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar

Amritsar

Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...

, Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...

and Tarn Taran

Tarn Taran district

Tarn Taran district is one of the districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. Some of its main cities are Tarn Taran Sahib which is located near Amritsar and Patti, City of Taran Taran is a holy place for Sikhs of India and abroad.Tarn Taran district was formed in 2006 from...

in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

and Kasur

Kasur

Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...

in the Pakistani province of Punjab. Historically, Majha

Majha

comprised the older settled parts of the Bari Doab (in particular Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura or Shekhupur , formerly Kot Dayal Das or Singhpuria or Virkgarh , is an industrial city in the province of Punjab slightly northwest to Lahore in Pakistan. It is known for its historical places, and is commonly known locally as Qila Shaikhupura, because of the fort in the city,...

) and the Rechna Doab (in particular, Gujranwala

Gujranwala

Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...

), the newer settled parts belonging to the canal colonies. Major towns in the region include Amritsar

Amritsar

, Batala

Batala

Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....

, Pathankot

Pathankot

Pathankot became 22nd district on 28th July 2011 and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. It was a part of the Nurpur princely state ruled by the Rajputs prior to 1849 AD. It is a meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir...

, Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...

, Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur

, Lahore

Lahore

, Kasur

Kasur

, Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura

, Gujranwala

Gujranwala

Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...

, Sialkot

Sialkot

Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...

, Wazirabad

Wazirabad

AYAZ KHANWazirabad is an industrial city located in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of the Chenab River nearly 100 kilometres north of Lahore on the Grand Trunk Road. It is 45 kilometres from Sialkot, 30 kilometres from the district capital - Gujranwala...

, Gujrat

Gujrat

Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...

, and Tarn Taran Sahib

Tarn Taran Sahib

Tarn Taran Sahib a city in the Indian state of Punjab. It is the district headquarters and hosts the municipal council of Taran Taran district.-History:Tarn Taran Sahib was founded by the fifth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji...

. Before partition many of the Heer Jats were residing in these areas. Their main villages were Heeran in Kasur

Kasur

district and Heer Syalan in Sialkot

Sialkot

district.

After partition, those who adhered to Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

went toward Western Punjab

West Punjab

, while the rest, the majority of whom were Sikhs, went toward Eastern Punjab

East Punjab

East Punjab was the part of the Punjab region that went to India following the Partition of the Punjab Province of British India between India and Pakistan in 1947...

and settled at the boarder areas of Amritsar

Amritsar

. They spelled their surname as Heir. There are still a large number of families with this surname residing at the nearby areas of Amritsar

Amritsar

. Those who moved toward Western Punjab, adopted "Choudhary" as titles (besides Heer) and are thus hard to identify; some in the regions of the Eastern Punjab started using the surname as Hayer

Hayer

Hayer also spelled as Hayre or Haer is a Jatt clan found in India and Pakistan in the region of Punjab. This article concerns the historical clan.-History and origin:...

. Most of the Hayers originate from Doaba

Doaba

region mainly a Village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

named Littran in Jalandhar

Jalandhar

Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

District. There are still few families in which some of the family members are using their surname as Heer while others are using it as Hayer. After Jalandhar

Jalandhar

Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

, Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur

is known as the hub of Heer Jatts. Perhaps this is the place where the Jatts of Heer Gotra

Gotra

has kept the originality of their gotra

Gotra

. Purhiran (or Purheeran) and Moranwali

Moranwali

Moranwali is a village near Banga, Punjab, India but falls in Tehsil Garhshankar , Hoshiarpur district , in Punjab state.-Demographics:According to the 2001 Census, Moranwali has a population of 3,097 people...

are their main villages in this area. Purhiran (or Purheeran) is named after a similar village named Pura-Heeran (Sialkot Tehsil

Sialkot Tehsil

Sialkot Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is administratively subdivided into 52 Union Councils.-History:...

) situated in Western Punjab

West Punjab

. Another village named Rehsiwal was formed by a Rehsi Heer Jat, who had migrated from village Meghowal, near to this village in early Eighteenth century.

Branches

Bhangu:
Bhangu

Bhangu

Bhangu, Bhangoo, or Bhango is a Jat gotra or clan mainly found in the Punjab state of North India, Sindh and Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:...

s are considered to be the descendant of Heers. According to the ‘Ambala District Gazetteer, 1923-24’, population of ‘Hir’ Jats in Ropar was (2176). It is to be noted that most of the people were using it as 'Hir-Bhangu' but in Gazette it was published only as 'Hir', because Bhangu was the sub-division of Heer.

The Bhangoo (Bhangu

Bhangu

Bhangu, Bhangoo, or Bhango is a Jat gotra or clan mainly found in the Punjab state of North India, Sindh and Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:...

) Jats are not related to the powerful Bhangi Misl (Confederacy) of Sikhs. Historians noted the existence of the Bhangu well before the Khalsa came to power in the Punjab. The descendants of Mehtab Singh Bhangoo are part of Karor Singhia Misl, not the Bhangi Misl. The Bhangi Sardars were of the Dhillon clan. These are often confused to attain association with the Bhangi Misl.

Porawal (Purewal

Purewal

Purewal is clan of Jats found mainly in the state of Punjab in India.The villages of origin of the Purewal clan are Shankar where they can be traced to three Purewal brothers during the Guru Gobind era , Ajit Singh Garhi, Hakim Pur and Kalahwalfatu in the Doaba region of Punjab.The three Purewal...

):
As regarding this name the following tale is told:-
A Mirasi happened to meet some children of the Maan, Bhullar and Heer Tribes pasturing cattle. Those of the two former tribes were in charge of boys, those of the latter in charge of girls, and so he asked them which of their tribes was the chief. The boys answered ironically that the Porawal (Purewal), who had sent their cattle out in charge of girls, were chief. Owing to their custom of so doing the Heer Jats were only regarded as half a tribe and the other half is Purewal. That is why some Jatt Historian in their books has written this clan together as ‘Heer or Purewal’.

In Undivided Punjab

According to 1911 census, following were the population of Heer Jatts among principal Muslim Jat clans:

Sialkot

Sialkot

District (73), Lahore District

Lahore District

Lahore District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan that contains the city of Lahore, the district and provincial capital. The total area is...

(376), Amritsar

Amritsar

District (74), Gujrat

Gujrat

District (1451), Shahpur

Shahpur (Punjab)

Shahpur is a city located in the west of Punjab province, Pakistan. It lies on the Jhelum River. Its old name was Rampur and it had a majority Hindu population until the 17th century...

District (Sargodha

Sargodha

Sargodha is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.Sargodha is located in the northwest of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries...

District) (553), Mianwali District

Mianwali District

Mianwali is a district in the northwest of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders eight districts: Attock District in the north, Chakwal District in the northeast, Khushab District in the east, and Bhakkar District in the south, while Lakki Marwat lies to the west, Kohat and Karak districts to the...

(1034), Jhang

Jhang

- Demographics :According to 1981 census of Pakistan population of Jhang was 1,970,944 with the 434,495 housing units in Jhang. In 1998 census, population of Jhang was 2,834,545, whose annually growth rate was 2.16%. Male population was 1,474,099 and female population was 1,360,446...

District (584), Dera Ghazi Khan

Dera Ghazi Khan

Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....

District (387), Jalandhar

Jalandhar

Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

District (194), Ludhiana District (514), Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur

District (439), Patiala (89), Ambala

Ambala

Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...

District (27), Ropar (2176).

In Eastern Punjab (India)

According to Prof. B. S. Dhillon the latest population (1991 census) of jatts of Heer gotra

Gotra

in Eastern Punjab is as follows (Majority of them belongs to Sikhism

Sikhism

):

In Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur

district the Heer population is 11, 505.
Population of Heer clan in Jalandhar

Jalandhar

Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

district is 4,500.
Heer population is 2,640 in Patiala district.
Heer population is 3,441 in Amritsar

Amritsar

district.
Heer population is 3,603 in Ludhiana district.
In Firozpur

Firozpur

Firozpur is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India, founded by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq , a Muslim ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.The Manj Rajputs say the town was named after their chief, a Rajput of...

district the Heer population is 1,950.

Variants

Variants of the Heer surname include:

Heir, Hayer

Hayer

Hayer also spelled as Hayre or Haer is a Jatt clan found in India and Pakistan in the region of Punjab. This article concerns the historical clan.-History and origin:...

, Hayre, Hehar, Hehr, Haer, Hir, Hira, Heera, Heerey, Heeran, Heran, Her, Herr, Har, De Heer, Heere, Heeren, Heerdt, Van Heerdt, Van Heeren, Herr, Hare, Hair, Hehir, Heher, Hayeur, Heren, Heer, Ahir, Aheer

Aheer

Famous people

Notable people with this clan include:

Manmohan Waris
Manmohan Waris
Manmohan Waris is an award-winning Indian Punjabi folk/pop singer. Manmohan Waris was born in Halluwal, District Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India. He is the elder brother of Sangtar & Kamal Heer...

(a Legendrary Punjabi Singer and Musician also known as Virse da Waris).
Kamal Heer
Kamal Heer
-Compilations:-Music videos:-Videography:-Concerts/Tours:-Other:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* * *...

(Famous Punjabi Folk Singer
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...

, youngest brother of Manmohan Waris and Sangtar Heer).
Sangtar
Sangtar
Sangtar Heer, more commonly known as just Sangtar, is a Punjabi singer, music composer, songwriter and poet. He has written songs and made music for many singers such as Kamal Heer, Manmohan Waris and Debi Makhsoospuri...

Heer (an Award-Winning Punjabi Composer and Musician).
Aman Hayer
Aman Hayer
Amandeep Singh Hayer, better known as Aman Hayer, is a British Asian music artist and producer, born and based in the United Kingdom. The Bhangra producer, lyricist, director, musician and singer has worked on numerous albums since 2002...

(Prominent Punjabi Musician belongs to village Littran
Littran
Littran is a village in Nakodar. Nakodar is a tehsil in the city Jalandhar of Indian state of Punjab.- Relation to other villages :It is connected to Addhi Khuyi which lies in the south of Nakodar and Nurmahal. Littran is almost 425 kilometres from New Delhi and approximately 120 kilometres from...

in Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

district, famous with the name of Groundshaker).
Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer is a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. He has represented the riding of Surrey-Tynehead since the 2001 election. He is currently serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism....

(BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....

, in the province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

).
Kash Heed
Kash Heed
Kash P. Heed is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, representing the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview....

(Kashmir Singh Heer
Kash Heed
Kash P. Heed is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, representing the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview....

a Canadian politition from village Halwara of Distt. Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...

).
Tara Singh Hayer
Tara Singh Hayer
Tara Singh Hayer, OBC was a Sikh Canadian newspaper publisher who was murdered.Hayer was born in Paddi Jagir, a small village in Punjab, India...

(Sikh Canadian newspaper publisher from village Paddi Jagir).
Sqn Ldr Amanjeet Singh Heer (No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force
No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force
No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force operates as a CAS and air superiority unit. Based at Gwalior AFB, No.7 Squadron along with No. 1 Squadron IAF , and No. 9 Squadron IAF , forms a part of No. 40 Wing IAF, Central Air Command.-Crest:No...

) was awarded VAYU SENA MEDAL during Kargil Battle
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...

.
Oswald Heer
Oswald Heer
Oswald Heer , Swiss geologist and naturalist, was born at Niederuzwil in Canton of St. Gallen and died in Lausanne.-Biography:...

(Swiss geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...

and naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...

, was born at Niederuzwil in Canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...

and died in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...

).
Ewald Heer
Ewald Heer
Ewald Heer is an aerospace engineer, author and professor who has worked on robotics, artificial intelligence , and large space structures...

(an aerospace engineer, author and professor who has worked on robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...

, artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

(AI).
Jeffrey Michael Heer (Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

).
John Knowles Herr
John Knowles Herr
John Knowles Herr was a career American soldier. Herr served forty years in the United States Cavalry and participated in the final battles of World War I as chief of staff of the 30th Division, but is best remembered for being the last Chief of U. S. Cavalry in history...

, American general officer.
Traugott Herr
Traugott Herr
Traugott Herr was a German general of Panzer troops who served during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...

(1890–1976), German general.
Lois Herr
Lois Herr
Lois Kathryn Herr is an aspiring American politician from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district in 2004, 2006 and 2010....

, American politician.
Harry Heher
Harry Heher
Harry Heher was a New Jersey Supreme Court Justice and Democratic Party leader.He was born in 1889 in Trenton, New Jersey to John and Anne Heher. He attended the Cathedral School and Trenton High School, graduating in 1907. As was the practice at the time, he read law with a Trenton lawyer...

(New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...

Justice and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

leader).
Kent Hehr
Kent Hehr
Kent Hehr is the Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Calgary-Buffalo.-Personal life:...

(Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

Member Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...

for the riding of Calgary-Buffalo.
Addison Hehr
Addison Hehr
Addison Hehr was an American art director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:Hehr was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:...

(an American art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....

, He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...

.
Joachim Heer
Joachim Heer
Joachim Heer was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council .He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 10 December 1875 and handed over office on 31 December 1878. He was affiliated to the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland...

(25 September 1825 - 1 March 1879) was a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1875–1878).
Alfred Heer ( Born October 12, 1961 in Glarus
Glarus
Glarus is the capital of the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Glarus municipality since 1 January 2011 incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern....

) is a Swiss politician (Swiss People's Party
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...

).
Ronny Heer
Ronny Heer
Ronny Heer is a Swiss Nordic combined skier who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of fourth in the 4 x 5 km team event at Turin in 2006 while earning his best individual finish of 11th in the 10 km individual normal hill event at Vancouver four...

(a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...

skier).
Matt Herr
Matt Herr
Matthew Herr is a retired American ice hockey forward who played for part of four NHL seasons....

(born May 26, 1976 in Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....

and raised in Alpine, New Jersey
Alpine, New Jersey
Alpine is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,849....

) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

who played for part of four NHL seasons.
Karamjit Singh Heer (who was born in the UK in 1950 and has his roots in village Dadyal (Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....

), has brought laurels to Punjab as he has become the first Asian to be appointed Election Commissioner in the UK. He was also honoured by Queen Elizabeth II with the CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...

( Commander of the Order of the British Empire).

History and origin

Distribution

Branches

In Undivided Punjab

In Eastern Punjab (India)

Variants

Famous people

See also