Surname Spits - Meaning and Origin
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Spits: What does the surname Spits mean?
The last name Spits is of Dutch origin and is derived from the Dutch word “spit,” which means “point.” It is thought to have been used as a nickname for someone who was thin or pointed. Alternatively, it could have been used to describe someone who was a sharp thinker or engaged in craftsmanship and skill.
The first written use of the name Spits (or its variant Spit) can be found in records from the 10th century, when a person with the name was recorded in the Dutch town of Winterswijk in the province of Gelderland. In the 13th century, another person named Spits was recorded in Leiden, Holland.
The name Spits is also found in parts of the Low Countries (like Belgium) and France, where it was used to describe a person who was narrow or thinly built. As the name spread throughout Europe, it also took on different regional and dialectal variants, such as Spiten (Belgium), Spait (France), Spitze (Germany) and Spizza (Italy), among others.
Today, the Spits surname is still commonly used in The Netherlands. It is carried by around 3,400 people, mostly in its Dutch form, and is especially prevalent in the South Holland and North Brabant provinces.
The Spits surname is often associated with qualities like intelligence, wisdom and wit.
Order DNA origin analysisSpits: Where does the name Spits come from?
The last name Spits is a rare surname found most commonly in Europe, particularly in The Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. It is also found in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In The Netherlands, the Spits surname can be traced to the 15th century when it first appeared in records from Amsterdam. The name was primarily common in the province of Noord-Holland, which is home to the island-town of Volendam. Here there is still a high presence of the Spits family, and the surname is used to describe local people of the area.
Spits is also found in Germany and Scandinavia, where it first originated. In Sweden, many of the Spits family members were shipbuilders and fishermen, while in Finland, they were merchants.
In the United States, the Spits surname can be found in the states of Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan. It first appeared in the American records in the 17th century with immigrants from the Netherlands. In Canada, the name is most prominent in the province of Ontario, with a presence in both French and English speaking towns.
In Australia, the Spits name is most common in South Australia and was first recorded with a Dutch immigrant in Melbourne in the 19th century. Similarly in New Zealand, the name is thought to have arrived with European immigrants from the Netherlands.
Overall, the last name Spits is a rare and unique name that can be found in a few countries today, most prominently in Europe and Australia.
Variations of the surname Spits
The surname Spits is an occupational surname of Dutch origin dating back to medieval times. The surname originated with people who either lived on or visited a spit, a long narrow spit or tongue-shaped peninsula jutting out into the sea, river or lake. The surname Spits is derived from the Dutch words “Spit” and “spitsen”, which mean a sharp point or tongue. This surname is found in several Dutch variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
The original spelling and first variant of the surname is “Spits”. Other spellings include “Spitsen”, “Speets”, “Speet”, “Speeta”, “Speete”, “Speeten”, “Speiting”, “Speitings”, “Spetman” and “Spetmans”. Alternate surnames are “Spetters”, “Spetting”, “Spettingen”, “Spitsel”, “Spitsells” and “Spitser”.
In present day Netherlands, the surname Spits is considered to be one of the most ancient and noble of Dutch-origin names. It is most commonly found in areas around the Rhine and Maas rivers, but it is also found in other countries throughout Europe and the United States.
In the United States, the Spits surname is most commonly found in the New York area, where the first Spits family settled in the 19th century. It is also found in upper New England and other metropolitan areas, and is considered one of the more common Dutch surnames in the country. It is also of note that the surname is present in Canada as well. In French-speaking areas, it can sometimes be encountered spelled as “Spitou”, which is a variant commonly used in Quebec.
Overall, the surname Spits has a long and rich history in the Netherlands, and is present in several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is also seen in several countries around the world, generally in areas which have a significant Dutch population.
Famous people with the name Spits
- Harmen Spits: A Dutch football midfielder, currently playing for PEC Zwolle.
- Max Spits: A Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Helmond Sport.
- Alexey Spits: An international grandmaster in chess, best known for finishing third in the 2016 Chess World Cup.
- Jorrit Spits: A Dutch football winger who currently plays for FC Eindhoven.
- Rainer Spitz: A German theoretical physicist and professor at the Universty of Bonn.
- Graeme Spitz: New Zealand field hockey player, who plays as a left attacking midfielder.
- William Spits: Dutch artist specialized in oil painting, watercolor and etching techniques.
- Iwan Spits: A Dutch photographer, film producer and installation artist.
- Frans Spitz: Dutch marathon runner who on 27 April, 1959 ran a world-record time of 2:16:33.
- Gerben Spits: A Dutch football defender who currently plays for sc Heerenveen.