Weiss
A German surname meaning “white,” usually from a nickname for a fair-haired or pale person.
The #587 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,406 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weiss comes from German weiss, meaning “white” or “fair.” It is the same word found in older German forms such as Middle High German and Old High German, and it was used as a descriptive byname for someone with light coloring or a pale complexion. In some cases it may also have been used more broadly for a person associated with whiteness, brightness, or cleanliness.
History
The surname is common in German-speaking areas and also appears among Jewish families who took or received German-language surnames. Related forms such as Weissmann simply add the German word for “man,” giving the sense “white/fair man.” The name spread widely through migration to Central Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname dictionaries regularly gloss Weiss as the German equivalent of English White and French Le Blanc.
From the historical record
“stone, rock] WEISS (Ger.) White [Ger. weiss, M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. wlz, oMer hwr'z] WEISSMAN(N (Ger.) White or Fair Man [see Weiss, and -|- Ger. mann, O.H.Ger. 'man{n] WERNER .\(Ger.) True or Trusty Army WERNHER; [see Warner' in Diet.] WINKLER (Ger.) Dweller in the Corner or Nook [f. Ger. winkel, M.H.Ger. winkel,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Weiss
- Harry Houdini (1874–1926)
- Rainer Weiss (1932–2025)
- Peter Weiss (1916–1982)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.