Surname Späthe - Meaning and Origin
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Späthe: What does the surname Späthe mean?
The last name Späthe is of German origin, and is a variant of the German name Spaeth. The literal translation of Späthe is "late" or "belated", and it is believed to have been adopted as a surname by one of two different groups of people.
The first group may have been those who were late in arriving or settling in a given area, a trait that was common amongst migrating families. This type of interpretation is further supported by the spelling variant of “Späth,” which is closer to the German word for “late.”
The second group who may have adopted the name were those who lived later or farther down a genealogical line. In this interpretation, the name would indicate that the family line was late to conceive or beget a blessed relationship. This was especially common amongst families who had hispidor nobility, which could have recognized anyone from a newer family as a Späthe or Späth.
In modern German When breaks from Späthe family, they often use the name Späth, Speith, Spieth, or Spieß. In any case, the Späthe name has maintained an association with being late, which could have been taken in the earlier meaning of arriving late or being late in a genealogical line.
Order DNA origin analysisSpäthe: Where does the name Späthe come from?
The last name Späthe is most commonly found in the German states of Bavaria, Hamburg, and Berlin. According to Ancestry.com records entry, the Späthe surname has been located in these parts of Germany since at least 1867. The name is also present in small numbers in other German-speaking regions and countries, such as Austria and Switzerland.
The origins of the Späthe name are debatable, because it is so uncommon. Some believe that it could have descended from a French-style appellation of a spade (in German, this is a “Spaten”). Others theorize that the name traces its roots back to a patronymic – “son of the spata” or “son of the spearman”. So its scope of potential origins is quite wide.
Within Germany, the Späthe surname is rare today, as it is likely to have died out or changed through generations. There is also a low presence of Späthe outside of Germany, but it is not exclusive to the country. There have been entries noted in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as smaller numbers in other countries, such as India, Macedonia, and Finland.
The Späthe surname is not a widely spread last name, but it is still practiced in some places in Germany, and also more sparingly around the world.
Variations of the surname Späthe
The surname Späthe is most commonly found in countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is also a patronymic name, which means it was derived from a male ancestor's personal name. Variants of this surname include Spaethe, Spaethe, Späth, Spathe, and Spatte.
Späthe is most often found spelled with an umlaut (ä) over the letter "a", with the use of an "e" instead being a less frequent variant. Other alternative spelling include Spathe, Spacethe, and Spoethe.
The surnames Ireland and O'Sparthym have the same origins and meaning as the surname Späthe, with Ireland being a variant used in English speaking countries. O'Sparthym is an Irish variant of Späthe, derived from the Gaelic term O'Sparthaigh. Sperath and Sperati are also variants which are found mainly in German-speaking countries.
Other similar and related surnames include Spahr, Spah, Espa, Espahiu, Spathis, Speight, Speigle, Speight, Speigel, and Spiker. These surnames all have similar meanings and origins, including "sword" and "spear" as well as "pillar". This is likely due to the original meaning of the surname Späthe, which translates to "sharpness”.
Famous people with the name Späthe
- Späthe Mototunnelbau GmbH: This is an engineering firm founded in Berlin, Germany in 1955 and still operating today. It specializes in building tunnels and underground structures for the public transportation sector.
- Magnus Späthe: Former freestyle swimmer and renowned German sports educator. He held multiple German Championship titles in freestyle swimming and specialized in teaching swimming to children.
- Kersten Späthe: German track and field athlete who took part in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. She specializes in middle-distance events such as the 800 and 1,500 meter races.
- Uwe Späthe: A former German Olympic football (soccer) player. Späthe was a German youth international, and even made an appearance for the senior team.
- Axel Späthe: Former German actor who was active during the mid-20th century. He appeared in over 30 films between 1950 and 1978, and even won an award for Best Male Supporting Role by the German Film Awards.
- Werner Späthe: A former member of the German national ice hockey team during the 1930s and 1940s. He represented Germany in the World Championships multiple times, and was even part of the team that won gold medals in 1938 and 1939.
- Tina Späthe: A German actress who began her career with small roles in television series before transitioning to the big screen in the late 2000s. She is best known for her lead role in the 2017 dystopian science fiction film “2067”.