Surname Mainholz - Meaning and Origin
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Mainholz: What does the surname Mainholz mean?
The last name Mainholz is of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German words “mein”, meaning “mine”, and “holz”, meaning “wood”. As such, it is primarily a topographic surname, denoting someone who lived at or near a wooded area. It likely originated in the region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, the area in southwestern Germany bordering France and Luxembourg.
The earliest recorded uses of the Mainholz surname date back to the 14th century, when a family of noble descent adopted the name as a means of distinguishing themselves from other nobility. During this period, the last name was relatively common throughout the Rhineland-Palatinate.
In more modern times, the use of the name Mainholz is still most common in Germany. However, thanks to migration, it has been adopted in many other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. In North America, Mainholz is often anglicized to Manvil or Manville.
Overall, the last name Mainholz has a long and distinguished history. Its German origin reflects a strong link to the Rhineland-Palatinate, and it continues to be enjoyed by families all over the world.
Order DNA origin analysisMainholz: Where does the name Mainholz come from?
Mainholz is a surname of German and Jewish origin. It is most commonly seen in Germany, where it is estimated that between 600 and 1500 people today carry the name. Large concentrations of Mainholz families may be found in rural areas such as Hessen and Nordrhein-Westfalen. Other countries in which Mainholz is relatively common include Austria, Israel, Switzerland, and the United States.
In the United States, this surname is mainly found in states where large numbers of German immigrants settled in the 18th century, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Illinois. Additionally, the name pops up in areas that attracted German Jewish refugees in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and California. Census records from the turn of the 20th century demonstrate that many immigrants from Germany and Russia used the name Mainholz in the US.
In other parts of the world, Mainholz is most common in countries with large Jewish diasporas, such as the United Kingdom, Argentina, and Canada. According to the Office of the Chief Rabbi in the UK, the Mainholz surname is largely made up of Jews from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Overall, the Mainholz family name has European roots and is still used today by numerous individuals in the United States and other countries.
Variations of the surname Mainholz
Mainholz is a German surname originating in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria. It can be written as Mainholt, Mainhold, Menholz, Menholt, Menhold, or Mainwich. All of these spellings are related to the same original family name.
The main spelling, Mainholz, is derived from the German word ‘Main’, which means a ‘strong, fast moving river’, and the German word ‘holz’, meaning ‘wood’. Therefore, Mainholz could mean ‘wood from a strong, fast flowing river’.
The variant, Mainholt, is derived from the same words but uses a more diminutive suffix, resulting in a meaning of ‘a small piece of wood from a river’.
The variant Menholz is derived from the German word ‘men’, which is short for Main, and ‘holz’, meaning wood. Similarly, Menhold and Menholt are derived from ‘mene’, which is another diminutive form of Main, and ‘hold’ and ‘holt’, which are diminutive forms of holz. In this case, Menholz would mean ‘a small piece of wood from a river’.
Lastly, the variant Mainwich is derived from the German words ‘Main’ and ‘wichod’, which means stream. Therefore, Mainwich would mean ‘a stream from a river’.
In conclusion, Mainholz is a German surname with several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, including Mainhold, Mainholt, Mainwich, Menholz, Menhold, and Menholt. This name originates in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria and is thought to have derived from words meaning ‘wood from a strong, fast-moving river’.
Famous people with the name Mainholz
- Henning Mainholz — German football manager and former player.
- Christian Mainholz — German footballer.
- Louis Mainholz — 1907 German Olympic fencer.
- Abraham Mainholz — German-born fashion photographer who worked in England and Australia.
- Alfred Mainholz — German general in World War II.
- Ida-Margaretha Mainholz — German actress.
- Thomas Mainholz — German cyclist who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
- Johann Christian Mainholz — German theologian and archivist from Thuringia.
- Ernst Mainholz — German Dr. phil., governor and honorary citizen of Hesse.
- Hans Mainholz — German politician, member of the German Bundestag.