Getz
Getz is usually a German surname, often a spelling of Goetz, ultimately from a name based on Gottfried or a similar Germanic personal name.
The #4,605 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,081 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Getz is commonly treated as a German spelling variant of Goetz. In German naming, Goetz is often a shortened form of a given name such as Gottfried, built from Germanic elements meaning “god” and “peace.” The surname therefore began as a name derived from a personal name, rather than from a place or occupation.
History
German and German-American records often show many spelling variants of the same surname, and Getz appears among them. In North America it was likely reinforced by immigration from German-speaking regions, where spellings like Goetz, Goets, and Getz could all be found. Because the form is short and phonetically simple, it could be standardized differently in different families and records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname dictionaries, Getz is sometimes listed simply as an equivalent spelling of Goetz, showing how fluid German surname spellings could be across records.
From the historical record
“Gerstemeyer, p. 310 Getty = Gotti, Getz = Goetz, Geyer, p. 317 Geymann, p. 311 Giese, p. 305 Gillis, pp. 309, 319 Ginter = Giiuther,”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names