Staats
A surname most likely linked to the Dutch nickname for Eustace, and in some cases to a German patronymic form from the personal name Staats/Statius.
The #7,333 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,871 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical evidence points mainly to a nickname or pet form used for the given name Eustace or Eustatius, especially in Dutch usage. That personal name goes back through Latin to Greek elements meaning roughly 'well-established' or 'steadfast'. In German-language surname study, Staats can also be treated as a patronymic or name-based surname from Staats/Statius-like forms, so the exact route may vary by family.
History
Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname scholars connected Staats with Dutch naming practice and also noted it in German genealogical material as a family-name form related to a personal name. The surname is found in both Dutch and German contexts, which fits a development from a given name rather than from the modern English word 'state'. In the United States it is borne by a relatively small number of families, likely reflecting immigration from Dutch- or German-speaking areas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One historical source explicitly explains Staats as a Dutch nickname form for Eustace or Eustatius, showing how a saint's name could turn into a surname.
From the historical record
“of Diocletian. STAATS. Stoats is the nick-name in Dutch for Eustace, or Eustatius, which is derived from the Greek etf, and larrjfj.1, well-established, firm, unyielding. STACY. A seeming form of the Latin Statins, from Sto, to stand, stationed, standing still, fixed. a STAINES. An old word for stones ; a market…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names