Surname Loess - Meaning and Origin
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Loess: What does the surname Loess mean?
The last name Loess is an occupational surname that has been used by families since the Middle Ages. Loess is derived from the Middle High German word "loh" meaning “meadow” or “clearing” and indicates that the original bearer of this surname was a meadow farmer.
Loess is quite rare, even in German-speaking countries. There is, for example, only one Loess family in the US, who settled in the US in 1711. It is also possible that the name was brought to the US by immigrants from countries with German-speaking populations, such as Switzerland or Austria. This could account for why Loess is so rare in the US.
The families that made up the Loess surname were typically humble farmers who lived a simple, rural lifestyle. This stands in stark contrast to the high-flying, upper class members of some other European families at the time. The village life could have proven hard but it was also often very fulfilling, as generations of the same family toiled and loved on the same land.
It is even possible that the Loess surname extends even further back to the ancient Germanic tribe “Vandals” from around the left of the Rhine. This possibility cannot be ruled out as the Vandals were known to till the land and could be the source of the Loess surname.
Regardless of its origin, the Loess surname is a reminder of an earlier era, when families dedicated their lives to the land they farmed and loved. To have this name is to be linked to a noble and proud European tradition, even with its limited spread across the globe.
Order DNA origin analysisLoess: Where does the name Loess come from?
The last name Loess can be found across the world today, with concentrations located in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the United States.
In Germany, it is recorded as being the 49th most common family name, held by more than 28,000 people. As the name can be found in many parts of the country, it is likely that many Loess families are from different backgrounds.
In Austria, Loess is much less common, appearing on fewer than 1,000 people. In the Netherlands, the latest population estimates show that around 1,800 people have the surname. Switzerland and Liechtenstein also have significant numbers of people with the last name Loess, belonging to over 1,000 people in each country, respectively.
In the United States, the surname Loess is considerably less common. Data from the 2000 U.S. census indicates that only 918 people had the last name, but concentrated mainly in Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The use of Loess may be more common in areas that have higher populations of German speakers, especially in the Midwest and northern states of the United States.
Given its diverse locations across the world, it is clear that the name Loess has come to be spread amongst many different people over the centuries. Whether because of emigration, immigration, or other reasons, it is likely that the last name is a testament to the intriguing and varied histories of the families it belongs to.
Variations of the surname Loess
The surname Loess is a variant spelling of the more common surname of Löss, derived from the German noun ‘Löß,’ which is a term used to describe a type of sedimentary soil found in various parts of Europe. Therefore, the surname Loess is most commonly found as the German surname Löss, but also appears as the Dutch name Laess, and the French surname Lesse. Variations of the surname Loess could include spelling variations such as Loes, Loesser, Lessert, Lösser, Löser, Leser, and Lauser.
The surname Loess is more commonly found in northern Europe, particularly in areas where German culture and language are predominant, such as modern-day Germany and Austria, as well as the Netherlands. The early mentions of Loess as a surname date back to the 15th century, where records mention a Johannes Loess from Schwaben, Germany, in 1483. Records also mention Simon Loess from a neighboring town, Nordheim, in 1470.
In addition to the main variant spelling of Loess, other limited surnames of the same origin also exist. These could include Less, Losse, Loss, Losser, and Loews. All these variants are associated with the same name origin, and likely denote different branches of the same family.
In the United States, the surname is somewhat rare, but can be found in limited numbers in midwestern states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In addition, the variants Losse and Loews can also be found in the US, but in even smaller numbers.
Famous people with the name Loess
- Laura Loess: an entertainment lover and former Project Manager for Apple Computer.
- Emanuel Loess: a German composer and musical director.
- Hartmut Loess: a German classical violinist.
- Maria Loess: an Austrian astronomy professor and researcher.
- Albert Loess: a German-American mathematician and geophysicist.
- Paul Loess: an American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
- Robert Loess: a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Sylvia Loess: a German actress, singer, and dancer.
- Hugo Loess: an Italian painter, etcher, and sculptor.
- Melvin Loess: an American physicist and professor at the University of California at Berkeley.