Surname Lachs - Meaning and Origin
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Lachs: What does the surname Lachs mean?
The last name Lachs is of Jewish origin. It is most likely derived from the German word "Lachs" meaning "salmon". It is likely that the name is patronymic in origin, and could refer to a number of things, such as an occupation, an area of origin, or an ancestor with some sort of connection to salmon.
In medieval Europe, many Jewish surnames developed from the occupational names of their ancestors. It is likely that many Jews had occupations related to fishing, and Lachs could have been used to describe a fisherman, either of fresh or saltwater fish. It might also have been a term of endearment or a nickname given to someone who was particularly skilled at fishing for salmon.
During the Middle Ages, many Jews lived in coastal areas and used the sea or rivers to earn their livelihoods. Jews living near the Mediterranean Sea likely used the word Lachs to describe a fisherman who specialized in catching and preparing salmon for a living. Jewish people from the Baltic Sea region used the term to refer to a fisherman of any type of fish.
The surname Lachs might also refer to a geographical origin or a family that lived near a river, lake, or ocean in which salmon were plentiful.
Regardless of its origin, the surname Lachs is indicative of a Jewish historical heritage. It is part of the rich tapestry of Jewish surname that trace back to the Middle Ages and beyond, and is reflective of Jewish cultural and occupational ties to the sea and its bountiful offerings.
Order DNA origin analysisLachs: Where does the name Lachs come from?
The last name Lachs is of Jewish origin and is most commonly found in modern day Israel. It is believed to have originally derived from Eastern Europe, with the earliest known record of the name traced back to Christoff Lachs, a Carpenters Master from Ohlau, Upper Silesia (now Oława, Poland) in 1699.
In modern-day Israel, Lachs is one of the most common Jewish last names. In 2018, it was ranked as the 66th most popular surname in the country, with nearly 10,000 individuals bearing the name. It is particularly common in the central part of the country, particularly in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beer Sheva.
The name is also fairly common amongst Jews in the United States, particularly within communities with large populations of Ashkenazi Jews, such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. Within these communities, it is a fairly popular last name and often appears in synagogue member directories.
In Europe, the name remains most commonly found in Poland, particularly in Silesian Voivodeship, coincided with the original home of the Lachs family.
Variations of the surname Lachs
The surname Lachs is a German name derived from the word “lach,” which means “laughter.” The various spellings and variants of Lachs include: Lach, Lache, Lachen, Lacher, Lacks, Lackson and Lack. Other surnames that may have the same origin as Lachs include Lacha, Laachs, Lasch, Lacko, Lax, Laxer, Lacksen, Laks, Lakser, Laksen and Lacken.
The variations of the surname Lachs can be traced to the family history of the name. It is believed that the word “lach” originated from the Jewish name Lack, which was created from the Hebrew word for “laughter”. Many of the variants of the surname Lachs have remained popular throughout German family history and have been found in records dating back to the late 17th century.
It is possible that ancestors of those with the surname Lachs, Lax, Lasch, Lacks, and Lacko may have migrated into the United States in the early 1800s from Germany and Austria-Hungary. During the 1920s, many emigrants of Eastern European descent adopted variations of their native name upon their arrival in the United States. Some may have chosen the surname Lachs as a way to honor their European background and heritage.
As the family of Lachs grew, other more specific variants and spellings were developed to distinguish between branches of the family and different generations. One example of this is the surname Lakso, which is derived from the original Lachs. This surname is usually associated with Scandinavian heritage, possibly due to the fact that severals branches of the Lachs family immigrated to countries such as Denmark and Norway in the late 1800s.
In conclusion, the surname Lachs is an ancient German name with many possible variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. This includes Lach, Lache, Lachen, Lacher, Lax, Laxer, Lacksen, Laks, Lakser, Laksen, Lackson and Lacko. An understanding of the history of Lachs may be beneficial in further exploring your family history.
Famous people with the name Lachs
- Major-General Adam Lachs: A highly decorated combat officer in the Israeli Defense Forces.
- Schmuel Lachs: Rabbi and leading Talmudic scholar.
- Arnon Lachs: Israeli soldier, politician and one of the founders of the Amana settlement movement.
- Siegfried Lachs: German-born American orchestra conductor.
- Frantisek Lachs: Czech sculptor, painter and graphic artist.
- Eva Lachs: Israeli singer and actress.
- Marc Lachs: French singer, songwriter and composer.
- Frederic Lachs: Jewish Polish-Austrian writer and publicist.
- Bodil Lachs: Swedish actress.
- Rosalina Lachs: Brazilian conductor, arranger and music educator.