Surname Miltzlaff - Meaning and Origin
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Miltzlaff: What does the surname Miltzlaff mean?
The last name Miltzlaff is of German origin and is said to originate from the Middle Low German words “milo” meaning “serving maid”, and “laff” meaning “laugh”. It is likely to have originally been an occupational surname for someone who worked in a household as a servant.
The literal meaning of the name might therefore be "serving maid who laughs" which could allude to a pleasant and joyful personality. It is possible that such a person had a cheerful and merry temper which was appreciated by their employers. Alternatively, it could also suggest that such a person was particularly adept at lightening awkward situations, by making jokes and putting people at ease.
Miltzlaff comes from the Low German language spoken in the Northern states of Germany and may have been found primarily in the Schleswig-Holstein region for centuries. Over time, many members of the family will have likely spread to other parts of Germany, Europe, and eventually, the rest of the world.
Today, the Miltzlaff surname is still common throughout Germany, but can also be found in other parts of Europe, North America, Latin America, and many other parts of the world.
Despite its German roots, the surname also has Scandinavian influences and is similar in spelling and meaning to the Norwegian name Milstøyl, which means “happy maid”.
Order DNA origin analysisMiltzlaff: Where does the name Miltzlaff come from?
The last name Miltzlaff is relatively uncommon, with a few hundred people bearing the name in recent decades. The majority of people with this last name can be found in Germany where it is widely distributed, especially in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. There are smaller numbers of people with the last name living in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, and the United States.
In the U.S., the highest concentration of Miltzlaff can be found on the West Coast - especially in California, where the records suggest the name has been in circulation since the late 1800s. Here, the Miltzlaff presence is largely concentrated in Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, the last name is recorded in the Midwest, primarily in Michigan and Illinois - likely due to German immigrants who settled in these states during the same period of time.
Though the number of people with this last name is small, the descendants of the Miltzlaff family have grown and spread out across the United States and Europe since the name first appeared in the records. This indicates that the last name, once largely limited to German-speaking countries, has experienced a mild amount of geographic diffusion over the past century and a half.
Variations of the surname Miltzlaff
The Miltzlaff surname is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname which has a few variants and alternate spellings. The base spelling of the surname is Miltzlaff, but it can also be spelled as Miltslaff, Miltzslaff, Milzslaff, and Milzlaaff, among other less common alternate spellings. It can also be found as Miltzloff, Miltzlotf, and Miltzlow, as well as other less common variants of the original surname.
The Miltzlaff surname is derived from "Miltzloff", which comes from a Yiddish-language given name meaning 'dear one'. The name is also found in a few other Germanic languages, such as Dutch "Miltzlaar" and German "Muller".
The Miltzlaff surname is shared by a few Jewish immigrant families that settled in Germany and the United States. One Miltzlaff family is the descendants of Samuel Miltzlaff, born in Germany in 1771. His family arrived in the United States in 1852 and made their new life in Cincinnati, Ohio. Another Miltzlaff family is the descendants of Gottlob Miltzlaff, born in German in 1812. He immigrated to the United States in 1854 with his family and settled in Marion County, Iowa.
The Miltzlaff surname can also be found in Russia and Europe. The Miltzlaff families that settled in the United States and Germany, however, are the most prominent Miltzlaff families.
Famous people with the name Miltzlaff
- Thomas Miltzlaff: Thomas Miltzlaff is a former footballer and manager of German sides Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Wacker Nordhausen. He also had a successful career with clubs including Fortuna Düsseldorf, Preußen Münster, and VfB Leipzig.
- Antje Miltzlaff: Antje Miltzlaff is a German actress best known for her roles in drama series such as Stolberg, Küstenwache and Die Fallers.
- Erich Miltzlaff: Erich Miltzlaff was an East German bobsledder who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, as well as two silver medals in the two-man event in 1968 and 1972.
- Lothar Miltzlaff: Lothar Miltzlaff is a German former competitive figure skater and a coach. He trained many of Germany's top skaters including Olympic champion Katarina Witt and three-time world champion Dagmar Lurz, as well as 2004 World bronze medalist Tanja Szewczenko.
- Richard Miltzlaff: Richard Miltzlaff is a German composer and conductor. He is best known for his works for a capella choir, as well as orchestral works, chamber music, and genre-crossing pieces.
- Max Miltzlaff: Max Miltzlaff is a former German footballer who played as a defender. He represented his country at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and won two caps, in 1990 and 1994. He spent most of his professional career at VfL Bochum.
- Ralf Miltzlaff: Ralf Miltzlaff is a retired German football manager. He managed a number of clubs in the east German Oberliga, including Holstein Kiel, Berliner AK 07, SV Babelsberg 03 and FC Carl Zeiss Jena.