Surname Jakumeitis - Meaning and Origin
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Jakumeitis: What does the surname Jakumeitis mean?
The surname Jakumeitis is a variant of the Lithuanian surname Jakimavičius. It is thought to have originated from the noun ‘jakimas’ which was the name of an official overseeing a district. This may suggest that those who originally bore the surname were landowners or perhaps officials of some kind.
The suffix ‘-vičius’ is a Lithuanian way of expressing a patronymic relationship, essentially signifying an ‘-son of’ familial link. Knowing this, it could be inferred that those who originally carried the surname Jakumeitis were the direct descendants of a man (or woman) called Jakimas.
The surname is still found throughout Lithuania today, although the spelling has changed slightly over time; variants of the name include Jakumavičius, Jakumavicz, and Jakimavicius. It is also found elsewhere in the world, mainly as a result of Lithuanian emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; countries in which the surname has been adopted include the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
In summary, the surname Jakumeitis is of Lithuanian origin and has been derived from the noun ‘jakimas’, likely signifying familial descent from a person of the same name. Variants of the name are still found throughout Lithuania and abroad today, as a result of widespread Lithuanian emigration to other parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisJakumeitis: Where does the name Jakumeitis come from?
The last name Jakumeitis is most commonly found in Lithuania. Lithuania is a small country in northern Europe, bordered by Latvia and Belarus. Its population is estimated to be just over 2.9 million people.
The surname Jakumeitis is derived from the Lithuanian masculine given name Jokūbas, which is a combination of two elements: jokas, meaning “laugh” or “jolly,” and meitas, meaning “girl.” As such, it indicates that the original bearer of the name was considered to be a good-natured person.
The most common surnames in Lithuania include Jakumeitis, Daukša, and Jankauskas. Data from the 2014 census indicates that the Happenis family is the most numerous in the country, with almost 8,000 people bearing the name. Jakumeitis came in seventeenth on the list, with 5,736 people using this name during the national census of 2014.
The surname has spread throughout Lithuania, but it is most common in western Lithuania, particularly in the Kuršiu region. It is believed that the name stems from the Hansa-Erwart region of Anaberg (now Šiauliai District). Hansa-Erwart was a historical province of Lithuanian Prussia, which is now part of Lithuania.
Overall, the Jakumeitis surname is relatively rare in comparison to other popular Lithuanian surnames. However, it is still common enough to be found in cities such as Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai.
Variations of the surname Jakumeitis
Jakumeitis is one of many surnames of Lithuanian origin, and there are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
The surname Jakumeitis is an old Lithuanian version of the name Jacobson, derived from the Latin name Jacobus, itself derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov. This is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Jacob." Other variations include Jakumaitis, Jakumaitys, Jakumės, Jakumečius, Jakste, Jakučionis, and Jakumavicius.
In some cases, the name has been shortened to the more common Lithuanian spelling of Jakusky. While some of the surnames are typically substituted, other family members may retain the older version. Some of these surnames may also be found in other parts of Eastern Europe, including Poland, Latvia, and Russia.
The German version of the surname is Jakobson, while the Swedish variation is Jakobsson. In nearby countries with Slavic languages, the surname is often translated to Jakovic, which is the Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Slovene spelling. It is also translated to Yacov in Hebrew.
Many of the alternative spellings stem from various phonetic adaptations of the name. In some cases, the spelling of the surname changed depending on the dialect of the area or the language of the transcriber. Also, Lithuaniann surnames ending in -aitis or -aitė were often modified to -as or -aus when taken to America or other countries.
Whatever the spelling, the surname all has the same meaning and origin; "son of Jacob."
Famous people with the name Jakumeitis
- Kristina Jakumeit: Actress known for roles in the TV series “Schimanski” and “Massara Blue Jeans”.
- Dagmar Jakumeit: German Handball player, playing for the Thuringer HC.
- Armin Jakumeit: German entrepreneur, founder and former CEO of Munich Re, Germany's largest reinsurance company.
- Livia Jakumeit: Model and actress, former participants of the German talent show “Let’s Dance”.
- Martial Jakumeit: Professional boxer, three-time German heavyweight champion.
- Christa Jakumeit: German opera singer, performed roles at the opera houses in Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Darmstadt.
- Eric Jakumeit: Canadian game designer and software developer.
- Aline Jakumeit: Entrepreneur and founder of the fashion label “Aline Jakumeit e.K.”
- Thomas Jakumeit: Professional photographer and video artist.
- Anna Jakumeit: Physician, researcher and professor at the Ruhr University Bochum.