Surname Pfiz - Meaning and Origin
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Pfiz: What does the surname Pfiz mean?
The last name Pfiz is a Germanic surname derived from the Middle High German word 'pfize' which means 'apron'. Pfiz was often used as a symbol of a housewife or a worker in the household. It's likely that the name was first borne by someone who was the head of household or possibly their spouse.
The earliest written record of the name Pfiz dates back to 1365 in Isenburg-Biedenkopf, Hesse, Germany. At that time, a man named Otto von Pfiz was an important landowner in the area. The name has since spread to other German speaking countries, including Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.
In the U.S., those bearing the name Pfiz often have come from German-speaking countries, brought to the U.S. by German immigrants in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Some of the earliest immigrants to appear in U.S. records bearing the Pfiz surname were Johann Henry Pfiz and his wife, Sophia, who arrived in 1727 in Pennsylvania.
Today, the name Pfiz is commonly found throughout the English-speaking world. Many people with the surname have gone on to become successful in fields such as business, the law, and the medical and education professions. They have spread throughout the world, and are spread from the U.S. to Europe and beyond.
Order DNA origin analysisPfiz: Where does the name Pfiz come from?
The last name Pfiz is a Germanic surname that originated from the Franconia region of Germany, now known as Bavaria. It is derived from the Bavarian word Pfitzen, which means “to plait” or “to interlace.” Today, the name is common throughout all of Germany, as well as in other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Outside of Europe, it can be found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America, primarily among those with Germanic or Central European ancestry. It has been adopted by various other nationalities, including Colombian, Filipino, and Polish, as a foreign name.
The Pfitzer family can trace its roots back to the 16th century and is becoming increasingly prominent today. Many members of the family have achieved success in the fields of politics, law, business, finance, and science. Notable Pfitzers include two members of the Bavarian Royal Family, Count Andreas von Pfitzer and Princess Brigitte von Pfitzer.
Overall, the Pfitzer family is a prominent and notable one, with roots tracing back to Germanic ancestry. It is a name that can be found throughout all of Europe, as well as in North and South America among those with Germanic or Central European heritage.
Variations of the surname Pfiz
The surname Pfiz comes from the German name Pfitzer, which is derived from a jocular nickname. The forms of spelling for Pfiz are Pfitzer, Pfister, Pfitz, Pfeisterer, and Pfeifer. All these spellings originate from the same name, with small variations.
Pfitzer and Pfeisterer are the most common modern spellings in Germany and Switzerland. They are derived from the Middle High German patronymic Pfiz, which was formed as an occupational name from the Old Germanic name Pfitz, meaning ‘worker’. The surname was first recorded in 1364 as Pfitzer and spread to other parts of Germany and Austria in the 14th century.
In English-speaking countries, the spelling has been changed to Pfizer or Pfister. This is the variant most commonly found in the US, Canada, and the UK. In some cases, the letter ‘z’ is replaced by an ‘s’ due to phonetic changes that occurred when the name was anglicized.
Variations of Pfitzer are found throughout Europe. In Italy, it is either Piuzzi or Pizzi. In Finland and the Scandinavian countries, the spelling is Pfeiffer. In Hungary, the surname is Pfitzner, and in Poland, it is Plązner or Plizner.
In all of these countries, the surname refers to a person who works with wood. The use of the surname in English-speaking countries could also refer to a doctor, pharmacist, or maker of pharmaceutical products. This could explain why the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has adopted the surname as its corporate name.
Famous people with the name Pfiz
- Marcel Pfeiffer, Swiss professional road bicycle racer
- William Pfister, retired American NASCAR driver
- Michel Pfifer, Swiss professional ski mountaineer
- David Pfister, retired American professional golfer
- Hans Pfister, Swiss freestyle skier
- Christian Pfister, Swiss footballer
- Markus Pfister, Swiss mountain biker
- Martin Pfister, Swiss world-level cross-country mountain biker
- Steve Pfister, American stunt performer, actor, and acrobat 10.Dieter Pfister, Swiss football manager 11.Robert Pfister, American physicist 12.Benjamin Pfister, German-American film director and producer 13.Hans Peter Pfister, Swiss politician 14.Irwin Pfister, Canadian geologist, academic, and public servant 15.Martin Pfister, Swiss film maker 16.Harvey Pfister, American college basketball coach 17.Hans-Kurt Pfister, Swiss road bicycle racer 18.Ulrike Pfister, German athletics competitor 19.Katharina Pfister, German-Austrian alpine skier 20.Roger Pfister, a Swiss ice hockey player