 Germany (green) and Sweden (orange) in Europe | |
| Pronunciation | lan-ts, lahn-ts, lahns |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | German, Swedish |
| Meaning | "Land," or “Lance” |
| Region of origin |  Germany  Sweden |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Lanz, Lanze, Lantze, Lanitz, Land, Lanzo, Lando [1] [2] |
Lantz is a surname of German and Swedish origin.
The German surname Lantz is thought to have several origins. It is thought to possibly be a variant habitational surname adopted by people from settlements called "Lanz," [3] a shortened habitational name derived from "Lanzo" or "Lando," which was originally a short form of various compound names using the element "land" or "territory", [4] or possibly derived as a warrior's name from the weapon lance (modern German, "lanze"). Though found throughout Germany, today the surname is most heavily concentrated in the states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein in the north, and Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland in the southwest. [5] Geographically, it may have originated in the region of Old Saxony. [6]
The Swedish surname Lantz is thought to have originated as a military-related name derived from "lance," (modern Swedish, "lans") which is a pole weapon designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier called a Lancer. [7] Military-related names became relatively common in the Swedish military in the 17th and 18th centuries as members were required to adopt unique surnames as a means to distinguish themselves from one another. [8]