Surname Eiss - Meaning and Origin
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Eiss: What does the surname Eiss mean?
The last name Eiss is of German origin. It is believed to have originated from the German verb eissen, meaning to “ice” or “freeze”. The name is likely derived from the occupational name for a maker of ice or food products related to freezing.
The surname Eiss is common in many countries, particularly Central and Eastern Europe. In Germany, it is particularly concentrated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Additionally, Eiss is also found in Jewish communities, particularly in Germany, where it is thought to derive from the Hebrew naming element yiss meaning “peace”. In this case, descendants of the Eiss family may have taken the name Eiss to signify a “peaceful home”.
The surname Eiss is also common in the United States, thanks mostly to German and Jewish immigration during the 19th century. The 1910 US census lists over forty individuals with the surnames Eiss and Eisner.
The meaning behind the last name Eiss is connected to the element of peace and coldness, an elemental paradox. The duality symbolizes the struggle between good and bad, peace vs. violence, and coldness vs. warmth. These disparate meanings are likely exactly what the Eiss family was hoping to communicate to others when they adopted this last name.
Order DNA origin analysisEiss: Where does the name Eiss come from?
The surname Eiss is of German origin, and is still commonly found in Germany and other areas that have strong German cultural roots. Although the spelling of the name can be altered over time or geographically, the root of the name is the same. Eiss most commonly appears in areas with German-speaking populations such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.
In German-speaking countries, the surname is usually spelled as Eiss or Eis. In the United States, the spelling Eise may appear as the surname is typically Americanized upon immigration. In the stateside context, the surname is most commonly found in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York, and North Dakota.
Within Pennsylvania, Eiss is most often found in the eastern and central regions of the state, which were the first areas to be established by German immigrants. These immigrants mostly originated from the Hesse region of Germany.
Recent data from Germany shows that the surname Eiss is most concentrated in the Rhineland Palatinate, an area known to be the domain of German immigrants in the past. This area is followed closely by Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where minor concentrations of the surname can be found.
To summarize, the surname Eiss is still commonly found in areas regions with German-speaking populations like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. Within the United States, the most frequent locations are in the eastern and central parts of Pennsylvania. In Germany, the most frequent locations are in the Rhineland Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria.
Variations of the surname Eiss
The surname Eiss is predominantly found in Jewish German-speaking regions, primarily the former West Prussia. In the German language, the surname Eiss is a variant of the name Eisner, which is derived from the old German word "ison" meaning "ironworker". The etymology of the name might relate to the prominence of the metallurgical industry in medieval Europe, as many Jews gravitated towards to escape persecution and find gainful employment.
Eiss is also found as Eis, Eise, Eissen, Eisen, Eisser, and various other spelling variations. Alternatively, related surnames include Iser, Esra, Isseroff, Issar, Isaacson, Issacoff, IJzer, Izer, Eser, and Ison.
There are numerous variants of the surname Eiss in other languages, including Ayse and Ayseç in Turkish, Esse in small parts of Italy, and Yizhar in Hebrew. These variants might stem from Ashkenazi usage of the Yiddish language in the past, or adoption of the name by various other Jewish cultures since the Middle Ages.
Other surnames derived from Eiss that appear in parts of Latin America include Eizner, Eise, Esner, Ysner, Isner, Eisner, and Eisine. Although most of these may not be related to the surname Eiss in any way, it is possible that some of them might refer to people with a similar background.
Overall, the surname Eiss has numerous variants, spellings, and associated surnames across the world, representing a shared history of Jewish people in Germany, Europe, and other parts of the world.
Famous people with the name Eiss
- Walter Eiss: German philosopher and professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Tübingen.
- Sacha Eiss: French politician and a Member of the European Parliament with the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedoms.
- Michael Eiss: Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UK-based company, 4Cgroup.
- Markus Eiss: German police commissioner of the Bundeskriminalamt (federal criminal police)
- Stephanie Eiss: German physicist and astronomer, Professor Emeritus of applied physics at the Andreas-Hermes Institute in Braunschweig, Germany.
- Ron Eiss: Israeli-American artist, educator and writer, and Board member of the Jerusalem Foundation.
- Avner Eiss: Israeli theatre producer and director of the Habimah National Theater of Israel.
- Franz Eiss: Austrian politician and a member of the National Council.
- Joe Eiss: Austrian- American physicist who contributed to the development of television and radar systems.
- Jerry Eiss: American sculptor and emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.