Surname Eys - Meaning and Origin
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Eys: What does the surname Eys mean?
The last name Eys is of German (especially Bavarian) origin and is derived from the Middle High German word "eise," meaning "iron," and was used as a name denoting a person who worked with metals such as iron. The name is also related to the Dutch word “ijzer,” also meaning “iron.” As a result, the earliest recorded use of Eys as a surname comes from Germany and the Netherlands in the late 1200s, when surnames first began to be used in Central Europe. The geographical distribution of the Eys surname in Germany is mostly concentrated in Bavaria, though it is sometimes found elsewhere in the country.
It is possible that the creation of the Eys surname signified the people who bore it as blacksmiths, metalworkers, or smelters. It is also possible that the name could signify dwellings that werenear metal furnaces or forges. In German-speaking parts of the Netherlands, Eys is a particularly popular surname.
The surname Eys has increasingly been used in the United States, where it is often anglicized as “Eise” or “Eisen.” In America, the Eys name is primarily found in Pennsylvania, where it has been documented since colonial times. However, Eys is not particularly common anywhere in the world, suggesting that it is likely to become increasingly rare in the near future.
Order DNA origin analysisEys: Where does the name Eys come from?
The last name Eys is most common in the Netherlands, where it is the 5,715th most popular surname. It is also found in Germany, where it is the 6,737th most popular last name. In 1992, it ranked in the top 2000 most popular last names in the Netherlands and also ranked in the top 5,000 in Germany. In Austria, it is far less common, only ranking in the top 10k. Elsewhere, it is quite rare.
Given the frequency, it is likely that Eys is of Dutch or German origin. The name is derived from the German word eise, meaning "iron". It is likely that the original Eys family had a profession involving iron and adopted the last name as a reference to that. This is similar to many Dutch and German surnames which often have direct occupational links, such as Muller (miller), Smith (smith) and Schneider (tailor).
Therefore, today, the surname Eys is primarily found in the Netherlands and German-speaking countries. It is likely that there are also some Eys families in other parts of the world due to emigration, however these populations would likely be small and scattered.
Variations of the surname Eys
The surname Eys is of Germanic origin, and can also be spelled as Eiss, Eisses, Eyses, Eis, and Ais. It is derived from the Middle-High German root word 'eisen' meaning 'iron'. This suggests that at some point in history, an ancestor of the bearer of the Eys surname was a blacksmith or a metalworker.
The surname has other variations throughout Europe, such as the Spanish variation Eis, the French variation Ais, and the Polish variation Eiss. Within Germany, the variation Eise is common. This variation is derived from the more northerly pronounciation of the original Middle-High German-Root leading to different spellings.
In the United States, the surname Eys may be found as Eiss, Eisse, Eisses, Eis and Eyses.
The other surnames which are of similar origin to Eys are Eyser, Eysermann, Eysinger, and Eyserline.
The name is quite rare and it is likely that any person bearing this name or its variants can be linked through a single ancestor. It is frequently found in the areas surrounding Lake Constance in Germany, and it is also found in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Austria. It is very rare in the United Kingdom, and the United States, though it does exist in both.
Famous people with the name Eys
- Kim Eys: Dutch singer and YouTuber who has released two albums and had two more singles reach the Billboard Dance Club charts.
- Erik Eys: former Dutch professional cyclist, and the winner of the Dutch national road racing championship in 1990.
- Peggy Eys: Belgian profressional artist specializing in watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings and sculpture.
- Yannick Eys: Belgium-born fencer who has competed in the team foil event at the Olympics.
- David Eys: Belgian-French actor and screenwriter, he has worked on films such as Le Sky, Chacun ses Gouts, and Flowers for Sale.
- Jean Eys: Belgian- French politician who is a current Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the Encyclopædia Universalis.
- Greg Eys: Canadian curling coach who is the head coach of the World Curling Tour's Mid-Ontario Curling Association.
- Travis Eys: American professional beach volleyball player who won the 2002 Oxnard Open, and has been runner-up or semi-finalist in 18 other AVP events.
- Guy Eys: Belgian painter whose works include seascapes, portraits, still lifes and landscapes depicting his country's rural landscape and Dutch baroque architecture.
- Jackson Eys: Canadian professional hockey player for OHA Red wings in the OHA Junior A Hockey League.