Surname Weiss - Meaning and Origin
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Decoding Weiss Origins: An Intriguing Journey with the iGENEA DNA Test
Explore the unexpected journey of a Weiss surname bearer, who delved into the intriguing world of genealogy with the iGENEA DNA test. Discover the enlightening revelations about their Ashkenazi Jewish ancestral roots and the thrilling connections made with fellow Weiss-descendants worldwide.
F. Weiss
read moreWeiss: What does the surname Weiss mean?
The last name Weiss is of German origin, and is derived from the Old High German word "wîs," meaning "white." It was likely first used as a nickname for someone with fair hair or pale complexion, or even to describe someone who favored or wore white-colored clothing. Over time, this name was adopted as a surname in several German-speaking regions and spread to many other countries.
In German-speaking areas, it can be found spelled in different forms such as Weiß and Wajs. In other countries, the name has been Anglicized in various ways, such as Weis, Walsh, Welch, and White. It is now quite common in both Europe and the United States, and can be found in many cultures.
The most famous bearer of the Weiss surname is undoubtedly Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology. Other notable people with the surname Weiss include the American film director, Steven Spielberg, former US President Bill Clinton, and the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs.
In the Jewish tradition, the name Weiss has acquired specific meaning, referring to people of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Its Hebrew equivalent is "Weisz," and it is derived from a Hebrew name meaning "wolf" or "fighter."
Order DNA origin analysisWeiss: Where does the name Weiss come from?
The last name Weiss is a common surname, popular throughout Europe and beyond. This Germanic name is thought to derive from the word Weiss, which translates as 'white' or 'bright' and has a range of different spellings, such as Weis, Waiss, Weyss and Wys.
Today, Weiss is one of the most common surnames in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It also features highly in the population of France, the United States, Argentina, Hungary, and many other countries around the world. In fact, Weiss is among the 250 most frequent surnames in the world.
As well as being popular among families of Germanic origin, the surname also appears frequently amongst Jewish populations who immigrated to the United States before World War Two. In this case, Weiss often replaces the more traditional Jewish last names which were changed to make it easier for the family to assimilate into a predominantly Christian society.
In the USA, Weiss is the 617th most popular surname, and is particularly prominent in California, New York, Florida and Illinois. It is also fairly common in Canada, especially in the province of Ontario.
In the USA and Canada, the Finnish variant Waiss is more prevalent than Weiss, with the name listed as the 429th most popular surname. Meanwhile, in Hungary, Weis is the 80th most frequent surname in the nation.
Variations of the surname Weiss
The surname Weiss (or Weizs, Weise) is of German origin and is derived from a nickname for a shrewd or wise person, from the Middle High German 'wīs' meaning 'wise'. It is known to have come to the Germanic-speaking world by the end of the First Millennium and is found mainly in the German-speaking regions of Europe today.
Variations and spelling variations of the surname Weiss include Weiß, Wajs, Weisz, Weise, Weisbach, Weisenbacher, Weisenecker, Weisgerber, Weisser, Weize, Weizs, Wejks and Wejs.
There are surnames of similar origins in multiple European languages, such as Wajs in the Slavic languages, Vise in Scandinavian languages, Weissenbach and Weissgerber in German, Weys in Dutch, Weish in Yiddish, Weizen in Hebrew, Vise in Norwegian, and Viise in Finnish and Estonian.
In North America, Weiss is most commonly found in the United States. It has also been found in England, Australia and South Africa.
Variants of Weiss have also evolved over time into less common spellings. These include Waitz, Weiz, Weis, Weizel, Weisz, Vise, Visser, Wys and Vizh.
The Weiss surname has not only been found among German and Jewish families, but also Slovaks, Czechs, Estonians, Finns and Dutch people.
Famous people with the name Weiss
- Riva Weiss: Belgian-Israeli actress
- Colin Weiss: American musician
- Maurice Weiss: French artist
- Nate Weiss: American sound designer
- Irving Weiss: American poet
- Erika Weiss: Austrian handball player
- Jay Weiss: American entrepreneur
- Rosa Weiss: Lithuanian sculptor
- Reid Weiss: American football player
- Naomi Ackerman Weiss: American philanthropist
- Paul Weiss: Austrian writer
- Bobby Weiss: Canadian ice hockey player
- Mischa Weiss: Dutch actor
- Ferenc Weiss: Hungarian photographer
- Robert Weiss: American artist
- Sayuri Weiss: Japanese singer
- David Weiss: German chess master
- Ellen Weiss: German judoka
- Louis Weiss: American lawyer
- Moshe Weiss: Israeli poet