origin
The Reinhardt surname is of pre 7th century Germanic origins. It is a German and Jewish surname that comes from a male personal name Raginhard, composed of the elements ragin, meaning counsel, with hard, hardy, brave, strong. This name was borne by the cunning fox in the popular medieval beast tales, with the result that from the 13th century the Old French goupil, fox, was replaced by the modern form renard, fox. This suggests the surname may also have originated as a nickname for crafty individuals, referring to the fox's reputation for cunning.
The Americanized spelling of Reinhardt is Rinehart.
Variations include: Reinhold, Rhinehart, Reinholdt, Reinholt, Reinolt, Reinold, Reinolds, Rhineholdt, Rhinehold, Rinehold, Reinholtz, Raynehart