The Heimlich maneuver was named after Dr. Henry Jay Heimlich, who developed the procedure in 1974. The surname “Heimlich” has its origins in fifteenth-century Switzerland and was initially a nickname for a secretive person, derived from an adjective meaning “secret” or “private”. The suffix -lich is used to form adjectives, originating from Proto-Germanic likaz and Proto-Indo-European leyg, meaning “like”. The word heim comes from the Proto-Germanic word haimaz, which means “home”, highlighting the connection between private actions and one’s home. This ultimately traces back to Proto-Indo-European koymos, meaning “village”. The phrases Heimlich and Heimlich maneuver gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, with literary usage peaking in 1995 and declining since then.
