Goetz
A German surname that usually began as a shortened form of a given name built on the element for “God,” especially forms like Gottfried.
The #2,689 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,058 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Goetz is generally understood as a shortened, familiar form of older German names beginning with the element Gott- or Got-, meaning “God.” In the historical sources, it is linked especially with names such as Gottfried and related compounds. In other words, the surname likely began as a nickname from a personal name rather than from the word for the animal or any place-name.
History
The form appears widely in German-speaking areas and is especially familiar from names like Goetz von Berlichingen, the medieval knight made famous by Goethe. English-language reference works also treat it as a reduced German form, and one source notes that the same type of shortening produced variants such as Getz. In modern usage it is found both as a surname and, less commonly, as part of artistic or literary names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Goethe’s play Goetz of Berlichingen helped make the name instantly recognizable far beyond Germany.
From the historical record
“four origins. They may be baptismal, local, occupa- tive, or nicknames. Taking as examples four names famous in literature, Goethe, like his hero Goetz, is an abbreviation of one of the numerous Old German names in God, e.g. Gottfried (Godfrey, Jeffrey), Gotthardt (Goddard), etc., Hans Sachs was of Saxon descent…”
— Surnames