Surname Meites - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Meites: What does the surname Meites mean?
The origin of the last name Meites is German. It is derived from the word 'mait' which means 'mayor' or 'foreman'. The name was an occupational surname given to a person who served as the mayor of a small town or hamlet.
Meites is also thought to have derived from the Old Germanic word 'maitun', which means 'to measure'. This would make sense as the job of a mayor or foreman also includes measuring land and resources. This is in line with the tradition of many Germanic surnames denoting a person's occupation or place of origin.
Meites is also an Americanized spelling of the name, also found with variations such as 'Meiters', 'Metes', and 'Meitus'. Variations in the spelling can be attributed to the languages the name has traveled through and may be linked with the region of origin.
The name Meites is most commonly found in the United States of America. It is increasingly being seen in Europe, particularly in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
However, the surname 'Meites' still remains quite uncommon and has no known coat of arms or crest. It is a unique name that is steeped in history, with its various associations with measurement, resource management and city governing.
Order DNA origin analysisMeites: Where does the name Meites come from?
The last name Meites is mostly found in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, Meites is the 27,441st most common last name in the US, with approximately 400 people bearing the name. It is most commonly found in New York, with over half of census respondents with the name residing in the state. After New York, the most common locations for people with the Meites last name are California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, all of which have fewer than 50 individuals with the name.
Meites is also a relatively common last name in Israel, where it is used by families descended from Jewish immigrants from North Africa. There are also small pockets of Meites families found in other locations such as Canada, Argentina, and Russia.
This name likely originated with a Jewish surname adopted by Ashkenazi Jews who were living in Eastern Europe during the 19th century. It might be derived from the Yiddish phrase meytes, which translates to "expelling," or "getting rid of." It also could be a shortened form of a longer Germanic name.
Variations of the surname Meites
The surname Meites is an Ashkenazic Jewish surname, originating in Germany, which was later adopted by Jews living in other parts of Europe and the U.S.
The most common variants of this surname are Meytes, Meitess, Meytess, Meitess, and Meites. Alternate spellings of the surname and related forms include Maitis, Maites, Maytes, Maytess, Maiter, and Maiiter.
In some cases, the surname has been changed to variants such as Meyer, Maier, Miller, and Myer. Maier is a variation of the Yiddish word mayer, meaning "innkeeper" or "merchant," while Meyer and Myer both derive from the same Yiddish word meaning "mason." Miller is more closely related to the Biblical name Michael, which is of Hebrew origin.
Additionally, the surname can also be found in its phonetic spelling variations, including Maites, Maitez, Maytes, Maytez, Maiter, Maiterz, and Maitess.
In summary, the Meites surname is related to a number of variants as well as various spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include the variants Meytess, Meitess, Maitis, Maites, Maytes, Maytess, Maiter, Maiiter, Meyer, Mayser, Maier, Miller, and Myer, as well as phonetic variants such as Maites, Maitez, Maytes, Maytez, Maiter, Maiterz, and Maitess.
Famous people with the name Meites
- Jack Meites: American electrical engineer and engineer- economist, specializing in public-utility regulation and public-service research.
- Peter Meites: American pianist, composer, and music director.
- Robert Meites: Retired Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Adam Meites: Israeli scientist and expert in computer vision and robotics.
- Stephen Meites: American Physicist and Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University.
- Aron Meites: American political activist, lawyer, and public servant.
- Ralph Meites: Israeli State Architect.
- David Meite: Country music singer-songwriter from Canada.
- Josef Meites: Former Chair of the Jewish Community Center of Prague.
- Nathan Meites: Founding member of the Jewish Publishing Society.
- Charles Meites: Retired United States Bankruptcy Judge.
- Frida Meites: American pediatrician and esteemed member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Michael Meites: British politician, Member of Parliament for Hove in 2015.
- Robert Meites: American painter, sculptor, and printmaker.
- Joseph Meites: French-American artist and sculptor, noted primarily for his large-scale, abstract steel sculpture works.