Surname Dette - Meaning and Origin
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Dette: What does the surname Dette mean?
The last name Dette is French in origin and can be derived from either the given name Dette, a pet form of the old French name Edouard, or from the French noun dette meaning ‘debt’.
The given name Dette originated from the Old French name Edouard which means ‘wealth guardian’ or ‘prosperous protector’. As a result, those with the surname Dette are believed to have originated from a well-off family line.
The French noun dette itself has Latin origins, deriving from the Latin word debitum meaning ‘something that one is bound to pay or fulfill’. As a result, presumably anyone with the surname Dette may have come from a family which had a history of being in debt.
The surname Dette is not particularly common in France and is also not found amongst current French phone books. However, it is quite regularly found amongst French Canadian surnames in North America and is often the result of French Huguenots who emigrated from France during the seventeenth century.
In most parts of the world, the surname Dette is not particularly common. However, those who have this surname are typically believed to come from either a well-off family background or a family that has difficulties with debt.
Order DNA origin analysisDette: Where does the name Dette come from?
The surname Dette is most commonly found in France, where it is associated with northern regions such as Picardy and Picardie, the Centre-Val de Loire, Burgundy, and Alsace-Lorraine. Though exact figures are hard to come by, it is estimated that around 10,000 individuals currently bear the surname in France.
Outside of France, the surname Dette is also found in Germany, with particular concentrations in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. In Germany, the surname tends to derive from similar French ancestry, either stemming from French Huguenot arrivals during the 17th century or Franco-German immigrants more recently during the 20th century. It is believed that the surname is also common in some of Germany's neighbouring countries, such as Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
In the Anglophone countries, the surname is rare but is found in records, largely from France and Germany. It was a popular surname among the Huguenots who fled religious persecution in France during the 18th and 19th centuries, and there are a number of Dette families whose migratory routes led them throughout Europe, Canada, and even the United States.
To sum up, the surname Dette is found primarily in France, Germany, and the other Germanophone countries, and appears in smaller numbers in some of their Anglophone neighbours.
Variations of the surname Dette
The surname Dette is derived from the Latin word "debitum" meaning "debt." The surname dates back to the 12th century when it was most commonly used in Normandy, France. Variants of the surname Dette include Dettes, Deets, Deat, Deit, Diet, and Deates.
The Deets variation was found mostly in England, with an emergence of the variation Deates in Ireland during the 19th century. This variation is most commonly associated with the Irish origin of the surname, indicating a son of Deates. The Deit variation of the surname is primarily associated with German and Dutch origin.
In England, Dette is the Anglicized version of Dettes, which was found in Devon and Somerset in the 14th century and in Berkshire in the 17th century. In Scotland, the Diet variety of the surname developed from Dettes as well. Diet is also considered a Low German variant.
The surname has had several notable bearers, including Baron Orville Dettes, who was active politically in the United States during the 18th century, and Baron Edward Dettes, who was a Scottish administrator in the 19th century.
Overall, Dette is an uncommon surname with various regional variations, including Dettes, Deets, Deat, Deit, Diet, and Deates, in countries such as England, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Dette
- Paul Dette: German actor.
- Olivier Dette: French classical violinist and conductor.
- Samuel Dette: French painter.
- Willy Dette: German actor and director.
- Mike Dette: American professional wrestler.
- Fritz Dette: German physicist.
- Hans Dette: Austrian musician and conductor.
- Guy Dette: French composer.
- Emanuel Dette: German pianist.
- Robert Dette: French singer and songwriter.
- Hazel Dette: American actress.
- Jenny Dette: German painter.
- Max Dette: German watercolour painter.
- Micky Dette: German actress.
- Leo Dette: Austrian operatic Trombonist.
- Angelica Dette: German operatic soprano.
- Roy Dette: Swiss ski champion.
- Xavier Dette: French sprint canoeist.
- Francis Dette: French playwright.
- Morgane Dette: French rock musician.