Surname Meliß - Meaning and Origin
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Meliß: What does the surname Meliß mean?
The last name Meliß is of German origins and is derived from the Middle High German melis meaning ‘honey’. This name was likely originally used as an occupational name for a beekeeper or a seller of honey. It is also thought to be related to two separate German place names, one being Melis in the former East Prussia, and the other being Malisee in Switzerland.
The last name Meliß is listed around 1733 in the German area close to the city of Mainz as a locality surname. In the 18th century one of the most well known bearers of the Meliß surname to emigrate from Germany to America was Gottlieb Meliß. He came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1745 on board a ship called the ‘Loyal Judith’. One of his sons, Gottlieb Meliß Jr. settled in Ohio in the early to mid 19th century.
Today Meliß can be found throughout Germany but according to statistics it is most commonly found in the north eastern state of East Berlin as well as in the states of Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Hamburg. It is also found in the USA, Canada, Switzerland and other countries with German heritage.
The last name Meliß is generally quite uncommon but not particularly rare. Those who bear the name typically trace back their ancestral heritage to a only few hundred years ago. This establishes Meliß as one of the oldest surnames of German origin from the 18th century. As such, the meaning of the Meliß name is deeply intertwined with its origins as an occupational name related to honey, although individuals of this surname generally use the German meaning ‘honey’ to refer to it.
Order DNA origin analysisMeliß: Where does the name Meliß come from?
The last name Meliß is most commonly encountered in East-Central Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, and Slovenia. It is particularly common in Germany, where it ranks 9,682nd on the national list of most commonly found last names, and over 1,800 people are known to bear the Meliß surname.
The origin of the Meliß last name is believed to be of Germanic origin. The Germanic word for apple, Mel, is thought to be the root of the last name; "iß" or "iz" is a diminutive suffix in Germanic languages. This suggests that the Meliß surname may indicate a family with ancestral roots in orchards or fruit growing.
In terms of distribution, the Meliß surname is most common in the state of Brandenburg, where it makes up 1 in every 15,311 people. The most common towns with the Meliß surname in Germany are Malitz, Koeping, Neuenkirchen, and Beberhagen, all located in the state of Brandenburg.
The United States is second to Germany in terms of overall frequency of people bearing the Meliß last name. The highest concentration of Meliß USA households in 2000 was located in Minnesota, followed by Texas and Wisconsin.
The surname has also spread to other areas; it's reported in countries such as France, Belgium, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Russia. The surname is also said to be present in places like South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand; however, more research is needed to confirm the presence of the Meliß last name in those areas.
Variations of the surname Meliß
The surname Meliß is of German origin. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Mellis, Melliss, Melling, Mellish, Mellin, Melliß, Mellißen, Mellingen, Mellinger, Mellings, Mellish, Mellinghausen and Mellys.
The spelling of names has changed over the years, and it is not uncommon for different variations to be used by different members of the same extended family.
In records, the surname Meliß may also be seen spelled as Mellis, Melliss, Melling, Mellish, Mellin, Melliß, Mellißen, Mellingen, Mellinger, Mellings, Mellish, Mellinghausen and Mellys. These variations of the name may be the result of handwriting mistakes, transcriber’s errors, intentional changes in spelling, dialect or cultural differences.
The surname is found in several parts of Germany, including the Rhineland-Palatinate, the state of Hesse, Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
In some cases, families from Germany have emigrated to other countries and their names may have changed slightly in the process. For example, those who migrated to the United States may have changed the spelling of their surname to Melis or Melling. Those who migrated to the United Kingdom may have changed the spelling of their surname to Mellish or Mellin.
It is likely that the variations in spelling of the surname Meliß can be ascribed to a variety of factors, including transcription errors, dialectical differences, cultural differences and immigration to other countries.
Famous people with the name Meliß
- Elisabeth Meliß: American actress
- Glenda Meliß: Hall of Fame TV personality, public speaker and performance arts expert
- Krisztina Meliß: Hungarian Olympic figure skater
- Peter Meliß: German professional footballer
- Peter Meliß: Austrian comedy actor
- Ronald Meliß: Canadian water polo player and coach
- Geza Meliß: Hungarian actor and film director
- Hubert Meliß: Austrian composer and musician
- Clay Meliß: American musician and actor
- Nikola Meliß: Croatian handball player
- Marija Meliß: Croatian rhythmic gymnast
- Sonja Meliß: Croatian chess player
- Jelena Meliß: Austrian synchronized swimmer
- Heidi Meliß: German sound engineer
- Ivana Meliß: Czech TV host
- Mate Meliß: Croatian basketball player
- Mariam Meliß: Georgian singer-songwriter
- Angelina Meliß: Serbian musical theater actor
- Goran Meliß: Slovenian filmmaker and artist
- Lev Meliß: Russian air force commander