Surname Pälz - Meaning and Origin
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Pälz: What does the surname Pälz mean?
The last name Pälz is of German origin. It is thought to have originated from the Low German word “palz” which means “soil” or “dirt”.
It is believed that the family was somehow associated with soil or cultivation and may have given their name to a certain field or area of farm land. The inhabitants of the region were known as those of the “Palz” or “Pälz”.
The first recorded use of the surname dates back to 14th century Germany when a certain Willekin Pälz was mentioned in records in 1350. People with this surname then spread throughout Europe and the United States.
Today, the surname Pälz can be found in Germany and the surrounding countries as well as other regions of Europe, especially in the United States and Canada. People with this surname are usually of German descent, though some other immigration to the US may have carried the name as well.
The Pälz surname is not common and not well-known, but it does exist and is still quite spread out around the world. People with this name are usually proud of their heritage and enjoy tracing their family history back to its roots in Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisPälz: Where does the name Pälz come from?
The surname Pälz is most commonly found in Germany and Austria. According to a 2016 survey, there are around 36,415 people living in Germany with the last name Pälz. This makes the surname slightly more frequent in Germany than in Austria, where there are about 32,296 people with the Pälz surname.
It is also found in some other countries including the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and the United States. In the Czech Republic, the name appears to be quite uncommon, but in Switzerland and the United States, the numbers are slightly higher.
The surname has been around since at least the 13th century, although its origins are unknown. It is believed to have either originated as a nickname for someone from Palatinate in Bavaria, or perhaps even derived from a nickname for someone with a paler complexion. Regardless of its origins, the surname has been around for centuries and is still in use today.
Because of its Germanic roots, the surname is also found among German-speaking populations in North and South America as well as in Australia. It is also found among communities of Volga Germans in Kazakhstan, and among the German emigrants who ar settled in Kazakhstan since the 1830s.
Overall, the surname Pälz is very much alive and in use today. Though it may have started as a surname for someone from Palatinate in Bavaria, its current use is global, having made its way to many other parts of the world through emigration and immigration.
Variations of the surname Pälz
The surname Pälz has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Some of these include Palz, Pallz, Palzner, and Palzer. The surname likely had a variety of origin stories, such as arising from nicknames for people from the southern German region known as the Palatinate (Palz in German). Alternatively, some believe the surname may have derived from the Latin word pallium, meaning “cloak” or “robe.”
Various spellings of Pälz that have developed over time include two common standard spellings of the surname: Palz and Pallz. In some cases, the surname has been spelled without the umlaut (ä), and in some regions, the z can also be replaced with a ‘s’, yielding the spelling Pals. More rarely, the surname has also been found as Pal'ts.
The surname Pälz is particularly common in Bavaria. It is believed to be derived from the Bavarian word palz, meaning “wetland.” In some cases, the surname has been further modified to Palzner or Palzer. Other modernized versions of the name are Pahl, Paal, and Paahl.
Although the surname is rooted in the same source, the various spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin have enabled the surname to spread widely across regions. The prominence of the name has connected many areas, and its variants are still used today.
Famous people with the name Pälz
- Kajsa Pälz: Swedish singer, writer, and comedian
- Martin Pälz: German footballer
- Maximilian Pälz: Austrian musician and composer
- Peter Pälz: Austrian alpine skier
- Erik Pälz: Swiss ski mountaineer
- Martin Pälz-Heider: German barrister
- Carola Pälz: Swiss singer
- Laurent Pälz: Swiss former alpine skier
- Pascal Pälz: German footballer
- Cornelius Pälz: German former slalom canoeist