Surname Buys - Meaning and Origin

Buys: What does the surname Buys mean?

The last name Buys is found throughout various countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and South Africa. It originated in the Netherlands and is considered a topographical name, referring to someone who lives near a “buye” or a “body of water.” It has evolved over the centuries and could be used to refer to other settlements near a body of water.

The name Buyse is closely associated with the Dutch language and is derived from the word “buizen” which means “to submerge” or “to sink”. The name is thought to be a reference to a person who was able to inhabit a marshy area near a body of water.

The family name came to be quite popular in Dutch colonies in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries, when many immigrants bearing the name Buys settled in America. As time passed, the name spread across the country and many branches of the Buys family can now be found across the US.

The Buys name may have taken on slightly different forms in Germany and South Africa, but it is still linked to the original meaning of the name which was “a person near a body of water.” It is now a common family name in the aforementioned countries and many people continue to use it to this day.

Buys: Where does the name Buys come from?

The last name Buys is most commonly found in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is especially prevalent in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. According to data from Forebears, it is the 46th most common surname in the Netherlands, with more than 90,000 people sharing the last name Buys.

In Belgium, Buys is the 118th most popular surname, with more than 32,000 people bearing this name. The last name is also found in other parts of Europe, such as France and Germany, and in the United States and Canada as well. It is believed to have originated from the Dutch word "boom" meaning tree, or from the Dutch word "boes" which means woodsman.

The most notable bearer of the surname Buys is Dutch footballer Danny Buijs. Other people with the last name Buys include Dutch Olympian Leo Buys, Dutch water polo player Art Buis, former Canadian Rapporteur General of the Quebec Legislature - Monique Buisseret, Dutch philanthropist Piet Buysse, Belgian mayor Julian Buysse, and Dutch test pilot Cor Buys.

The last name is also encountered in contemporary Dutch literature, such as the novel ‘De Wapenschild Van Buijs’ (The Arms of Buys) written by Willem Vermandere. All in all, the surname Buys is a common one found in several parts of Europe, the United States and Canada, and is often associated with Dutch heritage.

Variations of the surname Buys

The surname Buys is a patronymic name from the Dutch language, derived from the personal name of a father, which is spelled 'Buy', 'Buij' or 'Büy'. It can also take the form 'de Buy' where the prefix 'de' indicates a patronymic origin. Variants of this surname include Buyse, Buysschaert, Buyst, Buyck, Buyens, Buyckers and Buyzes.

The Dutch spelling of Buys is often anglicized to Bys or Buice and is also commonly rendered as Buse, Buijs, Boies and Box. As the family migrated across Europe and further afield, additional variants emerged. Examples include Buzzi, Busche, Bussa, Bysse, Buyser, Buysens and Buyz.

In France, the Flemish surname Buys was Frenchified as Bui, Buis, de Buis and Buise. Other forms which have emerged in the French-speaking world include Buisset, Buissier, Buizart, Buizot and Buissey.

As Buys spread across Europe into other areas, such as the United States, Czech Republic and Denmark, variantsand spellings adapted to the local language. This resulted in further variations in spelling such as Buike, Buyka, Bucik, Buysen, Buska, Byskov and Buyski.

Famous people with the name Buys

• Lisa Buys: actor
• Kathy Buys: director
• Helen Buys de Vries: Dutch journalist and writer
• Hendrik Buys: Dutch businessman
• Pieter Buys: Dutch Paralympic swimmer
• Marthinus Buys: South African-born Australian politician
• Nixon Buys: Former Chief Justice of the Republic of Botswana
• Wessel Buys: South African-born Australian politician
• Parys Buys: South African cricketer
• Mandie Buys: South African wildlife photographer and conservationist

Other surnames

BuyerBuyersBuynoskiBüyükBüyükasikBüyükdagBüyükkayaBüyükyilmazBuywid