Surname Maciunas - Meaning and Origin
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Maciunas: What does the surname Maciunas mean?
The last name MACIUNAS is derived from a Lithuanian word that means “son of macius”. It is typically found among descendants of a man named Macius, and it is believed to have originated from some regions of Lithuania and Poland.
Macius itself has its origin in several regions by the same name, such as Maciun, Macianske, and Maciunai. All of these places are believed to have gotten their name from the Lithuanian and Polish word mačių, which means a kind of foliage.
The common spelling of MACIUNAS was most likely derived from a variant of the Lithuanian and Polish word mačius, which means“son of macius”, literally meaning the sonor descendent of Macius or Mats.
MACIUNAS is a very old and special surname, and it is likely that many individuals with this surname have a deep sense of pride and community, due to their unique heritage. Other common variations of the surname include Macianas, Macanass, Maconas, and Macinas.
It is unknown where the first MACIUNAS family came from, but it is believed they emigrated from Lithuania and Poland centuries ago. Today, many MACIUNAS families throughout the world can trace their heritage back to these areas.
Order DNA origin analysisMaciunas: Where does the name Maciunas come from?
The last name Maciunas is most commonly found today in the Baltic countries, particularly Lithuania and Latvia. Maciunas is an old Lithuanian and Lithuanian-Polish surname, first referenced in written records in the 13th century.
Maciunas is derived either from the forename Maciej (Matthias) or a nickname for someone who lived on a hillside (“maciu” in Lithuanian). It is derived from the Latin suffix ‘anus’, meaning 'descendant of'.
The Maciunas surname is especially found in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius and surrounding towns such as Kaunas and Klaipeda. It is believed that the name is also present in the United States, as a significant number of Lithuanian immigrants arrived there during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It has also been suggested that Maciunas might have been related to the German word “maecenas”, which means “patrons” or “generous benefactors”. The name is associated with historical figures such as Lithuanian nobleman Petras Mackevičius, who served as a voivode of Vilnius in the 16th century.
The Maciunas surname is still well represented today within the Baltic countries. Outnumbered, however, by many surnames of more recent origin, it is not as common as it once was.
Variations of the surname Maciunas
The surname MACIUNAS is derived from the Lithuanian word mečiu, meaning “burnt”, and is found mainly in Lithuania, Russia and the United States. It is the 364th most common surname in Lithuania. Variants and alternate spellings of this surname include Maciūnas, Maciunis, Maciūnis, Maciūnavicius, Maciunavicius, Maciuņš, Maciauna, Maciunieju, Maciunecius and Maciunavičius.
In the United States, the surname has been anglicized into Maciunas, Macinnes, Macione, Macionia and Macionis. In Poland and Russia, it has taken the form of Mechunas and Mekunas, respectively, while in Canada it may also be spelled as Mackunas.
The surnames MACIUNAS and all of its variants have been found to be frequently linked with the Lithuanian Mečinskaitė family. In some cases, MACIUNAS may even be an anglicized form of the family name Mečinskaitė.
In terms of ancestry, MACIUNAS is considered to be a part of the larger Lithuanian family tree, with many of its variants denoting noble, Lithuanian ancestry. As a result, those with the surname MACIUNAS often take pride in their Lithuanian heritage, and many of them are active participants in Lithuanian cultural organizations.
The surname MACIUNAS is also commonly found among Lithuanian-American communities throughout the United States and has been found to be especially prominent in the major urban centers of Chicago, Detroit and New York City.
Famous people with the name Maciunas
- George Maciunas: Fluxus artist, largely credited with creating the Fluxus art movement.
- Svend adopts Maciunas: Danish artist and musician
- Lily Maciunas: Daughter of George Maciunas, artist and producer of the Maciunas Ensemble.
- Algimantas Maciunas: Fluxus performance artist and composer.
- Ungar Maciunas: Lithuanian-American artist and writer.
- Pranas Maciunas: Lithuanian painter.
- Tadeusz Kantor: Polish painter and theatre director, known for his involvement in the Fluxus movement alongside George Maciunas.
- Vytautas Maciunas: Lithuanian sculptor and neo-avant-garde artist.
- Petras Maciunas: Lithuanian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
- Michal Maciunas: American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for his documentary films about the underground music scene.