Surname Feißt - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Feißt: What does the surname Feißt mean?
The last name Feißt is of German origin. It is a topographic name deriving from the Middle High German 'vist' or 'vi(e)ste', which referred to someone living near a boundary line or eastern border. As borders were often guarded and defended, it could have also been used to describe a person living near a medieval fortification.
The surname may also refer to persons from the old Germanic tribe known as the Franconians, who participated in the German Eastward Migration in the 11th century. During this time, the Franconians settled in the border area between Brandenburg and Pomerania, and created the Duchy of Franconia.
Feißt could also be a metonymic occupational name referring to a furrier or to someone who made fur outerwear. This is derived from the Middle High German 'visch', which means 'fir-cone' or 'fir-needle'. Alternatively, the name could also be derived from the Old German 'viz', which means fox or hedgehog.
The last name is today found all over Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland, and other German-speaking countries. In some cases, the name has been changed to Fieß, Föst, and Vas.
Order DNA origin analysisFeißt: Where does the name Feißt come from?
The last name Feißt is most common today in Germany. It is a German surname derived from the German word "feist," which means lean or meagre. According to the 1990 census in Germany, the last name Feißt ranked 173rd in popularity out of a total 880,799 surnames recorded.
In recent years, a few individuals with the name Feißt have immigrated to the United States, Canada and Australia. Estimates from the US Census of 2010 place the number of individuals with the surname Feißt at 690 or less in the US.
The name is also found in other parts of Europe, especially in eastern and central European countries. For example, Feißt is one of the top 1,000 surnames in the Czech Republic and ranks in the top 12,000 surnames in Hungary. It is also found in Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries in the region.
Overall, the surname Feißt is not a particularly common surname, but it does have a presence in many countries in Europe and beyond.
Variations of the surname Feißt
The surname Feißt consists of different variants and spellings in different regions. The standard spelling is Feißt, followed by Feyst and Feyßt. Feyst and Feyßt can be found mainly in Bavarian, Swabian and Franconian-speaking areas of Germany. Some families in these regions adopted the simplified spelling Físt or Fiest in the 17th and 18th centuries. Other variants of the name include Feyst, Feist and Feyss, as well as Feistl and Feisl, which were used mainly in Austria and Germany.
Some families with the surname Feißt have links to Austria and Hungary, where the spelling is usually Fáist or Faist. Other variations used in those countries may include Faisth, Faiszt, Fáisz and Fugó Fáist.
Variations of the surname have also been recorded in the United States and Canada. In America, the name is often spelled Fiest or Feist, while in Canada it may be spelled Feyss. Lugain or Lugayin is a Hebrew spelling of Feißt, while families living in Poland also used the spelling Folşt.
In the Netherlands, the name is spelled Feyst or Feist. Feyst is also recorded in Flanders, Belgium (as Feyste and Feye). Finally, variants of Feißt can be found in other parts of Europe, including France, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia. Variations include Faist, Faisz, Faisth, Faiste and Faiseau, as well as Festa, Festoff and Feýst.
Famous people with the name Feißt
- Madeline Feißt: Madeline Feißt is an American artist, photographer, and cultural commentator. She has exhibited her photography both in the US and internationally. Feißt uses her work to build awareness around important issues and to celebrate the beauty of diversity.
- Cora Feißt: Cora Feißt is a German singer and songwriter from Berlin. She has released several successful albums and singles and has collaborated with artists from across Europe.
- Stephen Feißt: Stephen Feißt is a German actor and director. He has appeared in a number of German films and television series, and has also directed a number of theatre productions.
- Matthias Feißt: Matthias Feißt is a German artist and sculptor, known for his abstract works and installations. Feißt has exhibited his work in a number of cities across Europe, and his works can be found in prominent public and private collections.
- Joachim Feißt: Joachim Feißt is a German entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder and CEO of fintech company Deezer AG, which provides financial services to small and medium-sized businesses.