Surname Mätzel - Meaning and Origin

Mätzel: What does the surname Mätzel mean?

The last name Mätzel is a German surname of origin. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German term ‘mazzel’ meaning 'luck'. The term was used to describe someone as being lucky, either in physical or spiritual terms. It is likely that someone with this name had a life that was characterized by good fortune and an abundance of luck.

The Mätzel surname is believed to first appear in records around the late 15th century in the region of Palatinate, Germany, when the tradition of formally taking on a surname was becoming more popular. The initial bearer of the name is thought to be the local Matz, a name derived from the Middle German meaning 'gift of god'.

The Mätzel surname is still common in Germany today. Spelling variants of the name include: Mätzl, Matzell, Mätzel and Madzel. In modern times, the namein Germany is skewed more towards the Mätzel and Matzell spellings.

Mätzel is also seen in other parts of Germanic Europe, Baltimore, USA and in some parts of South America as a result of emigration. In all of these places, the name has maintained its original meaning of ‘lucky’, and is often associated with good fortune.

Mätzel: Where does the name Mätzel come from?

The last name Mätzel is most frequently found in Germany and the surrounding countries today. Records show that the name has been traced as far back as 1417, when a man named Hans Mätzel was mentioned in a record in the region of Silesia, Germany. After this time the name started to move through the surrounding countries and is currently found in Germany, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

In Germany, the name Mätzel is most commonly found in the north-eastern states around the area of Berlin. The popularity of the name also spreads to the Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia regions as far east as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Records show that the name was included in the immigration records of German emigrants that moved to Australia and the United States between the late 17th and 19th centuries.

The surname Mätzel is a common occupational name for someone that is a weaver of textiles and wool; the name is derived from the German word ‘matz’ meaning a cloth made from flax. The name has also been found in the same spelling in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, although it is much less well-known in those areas due to a much smaller German population. Many of the bearers of the name Mätzel are descendants of those that settled in the Baltic region of Europe centuries ago.

Today, those that bear the name Mätzel are a part of a much more interconnected world where the German people are just one nation among many. While the name is most definitely still alive, there is a much broader array of surnames to be found in the times we live in.

Variations of the surname Mätzel

The surname Mätzel has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These may include Matzel, Mätze, Metzela, Metzelas, Metsola, Metsulas, Matzela, Matzele, Matzels, Matsola, Matsolas, Matsella, Metza, Metzel, Metzele, Metzella, Metzelle, Metzellas, Metzely, Metzler, Mettes, Metschila, Metschla, Metschle, Metschula, Metschyla, Mickla, Middel, Möddel, Model, Modell, Modüll, Muetzel, Mötzel, Motzela, Motzelas, Mötzela, Motta, Mottas, Muddel, Müddel, Mühl, Mühlbach, Muehl, Mühlberger, Mühle, Mühlenberg, Mützel, Muhl, Muhle, Muhrer, Mutzel, Mötze, and Mutze.

The vast majority of these surnames are German in origin, derived from the Middle High German word 'muot', meaning 'wrought' or 'fashioned'. This is likely in reference to skills related to metalworking or carpentry. Some variants may also be based on other German words, such as 'mütze' (hat), 'mützele' (little hat), or 'metze' (puddle).

Due to the many different variations in spellings, it is likely that all of the surnames mentioned above are ultimately from the same origin. The earliest known spelling of the surname is 'Muotzel' from 1343 in records from the Abbey of Murrhardt. This is thought to have eventually given rise to the modern Mätzel spelling.

Famous people with the name Mätzel

• Jürgen Mätzel: German newspaper editor, he was a former editor-in-chief of Berliner Zeitung.
• Ferdinand Mätzel: 19th century Austrian-German physiologist and anatomist who discovered tubular glands in the pancreas.
• John Mätzel: Former Mayor of Elberfeld, Germany who served from 1926 to 1933.
• Paul Mätzel: German entomologist and arachnologist who wrote monographs on beetles.
• Wilhelm Mätzel: German medical doctor and zoologist who wrote books on evolutionary theory.
• Lothar Mätzel: German dentist, doctor and politician who served in the German parliament from 1919 to 1933.
• Erik Mätzel: Danish-German oil painter of the late 19th century.
• Hugo Mätzel: German neurologist, who wrote the book Central Nervous Symptoms.
• Heinz Mätzel: German geologist and paleontologist who wrote on the geology of East Africa.
• Anton Mätzel: 19th century German sculptor who worked in Vienna and Munich.

Other surnames

Matzen