Surname Biess - Meaning and Origin
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Biess: What does the surname Biess mean?
The last name Biess is of German origin and is derived from a location-based name for someone who came from a place named Bies near Halle in Lower Saxony. This name could have been derived from the Old German word meaning ‘meadow’ or ‘marshland’. It has also been suggested that the name may also be derived from the Old French phrase ‘bien’ meaning ‘good’ or ‘well’; thus making this name to mean ‘one from the good land.’
Biess is also a Jewish surname found in Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe, most likely derived from the German name Beiss meaning ‘animal’ or ‘beast’. This suggests the first person with this name might have been an animal-tender or even a hunter.
The earliest mention of Biess is a reference to a man called Lansrahman de Biess from Nordhausen in Thuringia in 1360. Two hundred years later, in 1561, a family of the name Biess is recorded in Augsburg.
The surname Biess remains in Germany today, especially in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. There are also a few Biess families in Northern France and Belgium.
Given its varied interpretations, the name Biess today could describe someone from a ‘good land’, a beastly hunter, or an animal-tender.
Order DNA origin analysisBiess: Where does the name Biess come from?
The last name Biess is a rare surname found in Germany. Most Biess families live in Bavaria. Records show that the family name was first mentioned in 1582 in Munich, Bavaria.
Biess is an occupational surname, meaning it derives from the name of someone’s job or profession. According to records, Biess means “cloth maker” and is a variant of the German word “Biest” which means “fabric”. The name could also have originally meant “weaver” or “tailor”.
In modern times, the last name Biess can still be found in Bavaria, Germany. It is less common in other parts of the world. However, it can occasionally be encountered in neighboring regions like Austria, Switzerland, and Alsace, France. It appears that the majority of Biesses currently living in the United States can trace their ancestors back to Bavaria, where the name originated.
Biess is not a frequent name in the U.S., since it is estimated that only 2,155 Biesses live in the United States. The largest concentrations of this name are in Pennsylvania (681 residents), Ohio (505 residents), and Michigan (202 residents). The states of New York, California, Illinois, and Indiana also have some Biesses living within their borders.
Whether you have German ancestry or not, if you happen to come across the name Biess then there is a good chance that it originated in Bavaria, Germany. This might be an interesting fact to take note of, especially for those with a curiosity about their heritage.
Variations of the surname Biess
The surname Biess has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include:
• Bies - This is the most common alternate spelling for the surname Biess and is found primarily in Germany.
• Biese - Also spelled Biesse and Biesen, this is another variation of the surname Biess commonly found in Germany and Belgium.
• Bess - This spelling of the surname is found mostly in North America, having been changed due to a slight difference in pronunciation.
• Beis - A spelling found mostly in Austria, but also in other parts of German-speaking Europe.
• Biester - Another variant primarily found in Germany.
• Beisert - Same spelling as above, but typically found in Austria.
• Byess - This is the Americanized spelling of the surname, which is found mostly in the United States and Canada.
• Biyess - This is an uncommon variation of the surname Biess, primarily found in the United States and Canada.
• Surnames derived from Biess - These include Biesinger, Biesing, and Biesemann, to name a few. These are primarily found in Germany, Austria, and other parts of German-speaking Europe.
Overall, the surname Biess has many variants, spellings, and derived surnames, each with its own unique origin and meaning.
Famous people with the name Biess
- Karl Biess: a German engineer who developed synthetic liquid fuel in the early part of the 20th century.
- Richard Biess: a German-born American impresario who, in the 1940s, established the Biess Dance Orchestra, one of the most famous big bands of its era.
- Joachim Biess: a German historian who wrote extensively on the history of World War II.
- Hans Biess: a German-born American artist who was largely responsible for the development of Expressionism.
- August Biess: a German politician who served as mayor of Berlin from 1904 to 1930.
- Johann Biess: a German physician who was part of a pioneering research team that developed the first successful vaccine against the bubonic plague.
- Maria Biess: a German neo-expressionist painter who was among the first to explore the use of collage in her artwork.
- Hans-Peter Biess: a German politician and chairman of the socialdemocratic party in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein from 1984 to 1998.
- Axel Biess: a German-born Canadian bodybuilder and fitness legend who competed in several international bodybuilding contests in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Marta Biess: a German photographer and artist who highlighted the beauty of everyday life in her art.