Metz

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested in 1 language in the etymology graph.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Metz is also recorded as 2 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Czech given name5 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Czechia

  Also written Mety

• a separate name2 spellings in the group

  Also written Μετζ

59 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Metz is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In German, 1. from the place name Metz; 2. from Matz; 3. stem Metz- from Macht; 4. from Messer; 5. Bavarian for Mais

  as a name·Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung

• In German, Toponymic surname from the bishop’s city Metz; bearer counts: Metzmann 65, Metzer 94, Me(t)z 24+5905.

  as a name·Deutscher Familiennamenatlas, Band 4: Familiennamen nach Herkunft und Wohnstätte

• In German, metonymic occupational name for a cutler, from Middle Low German messet, metset ‘knife’, ‘dagger’ or Middle High German metz(e) ‘knife’. Compare Messer

  as a name·Dictionary of American Family Names

• In German, from a short form of the female personal name Mechthild, composed of Germanic maht ‘might’, ‘strength’ + hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’.

  as a name·Dictionary of American Family Names

• In German, This name is also established in Poland. lH331I13jS Christian Metz, the founder of the Amana colonies in lA, was born in Neuwied, Pmssia, in 1794. His group arrived in NY in 1842 and proceeded to the Midwest in 1855, where they were able to establish an experimental life style that was more successful than most other Utopian communal religious settlements of the time.

  as a name·Dictionary of American Family Names

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Herman A. Metzb. 1867USUnited States businessman and politician (1867-1934)
• Paul Metzb. 1892DKDanish field hockey player (1892–1975)
• Vittorio Metzb. 1904ITItalian screenwriter (1904–1984)
• Johann Baptist Metzb. 1928DEGerman Roman Catholic political theologian (1928–2019)
• Christian Metzb. 1931FRFrench film critic (1931–1993)
• Lothar Metzb. 1939DEEast German wrestler
• Melinda Metzb. 1962USAmerican writer
• Michael Metzb. 1964DEfield hockey player
• Rebecca Metzb. 1973USAmerican actress
• Chrissy Metzb. 1980USAmerican actress

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

How to address them○(machine-generated)

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Metz mean, and where does it come from?

From the city of Metz in Lorraine, France. Recorded by The Origin of Jewish Family Names: Morphology and History.

How do you pronounce Metz?

A machine transcription gives /mɛs/ (IPA) for French.

In which country does Metz have the most bearers?

Metz is most frequently recorded in the United States, where it is most often spelled metz.