From OE 'heorþ' — the perpetual fire at the center of the Germanic home, so central that 'hearth' became a synonym for 'home.'
The floor of a fireplace, or the area in front of it; used figuratively to mean home and family life.
From Old English 'heorþ,' from Proto-Germanic *herþō (hearth, fireplace), possibly from the PIE root *ker- (to burn, heat). The connection to PIE is debated; some linguists instead link it to *kerd- (heart), while others see an independent Germanic formation. What is certain is that the hearth was the physical and spiritual center of the Germanic household — the place where fire
The Roman goddess Vesta — whose priestesses, the Vestal Virgins, tended an eternal flame in her temple — was the deity of the hearth. Greek 'hestia' (hearth, and the goddess Hestia) may share an ancient root with Germanic 'hearth,' though the phonological connection is disputed among specialists.