Metts
A surname most likely developed as a shortened or altered form of a longer name, rather than a distinct meaning-name on its own.
The #8,473 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,247 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Metts is most plausibly an English surname formed by shortening or reshaping a longer medieval personal name or surname. It may be related to names built on Middle English given-name forms such as Mat- or Matt-, though the exact pathway is unclear. In some cases, surnames like this also arise from local spelling variation, so the same family line may appear under several similar forms.
History
Because Metts is relatively uncommon, it is often treated as a later variant rather than an old fixed surname with a single well-attested source. Spellings of this kind became more stable only after surname usage hardened in the early modern period, and the name is now found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
With surnames that look this short, a single added or dropped letter in old records can hide several generations of spelling change.