Surname Haas - Meaning and Origin

A Personal Journey of Ancestral Discovery: Unraveling The History and Culture of the Surname Haas through iGENEA DNA Test

My curiosity about my ancestral roots led me to undertake an iGENEA DNA test. The results were an eye-opener, shedding light on my ancient lineage beyond immediate family history. They revealed the historical journey of my surname 'Haas' – its Germanic origins, migration patterns, cultural ties, traditional occupations, and the current dispersion and achievements of the Haas descendants.

F. Haas

Haas: What does the surname Haas mean?

Haas is a German and Dutch surname, which translates to "hare" in English. The name originates from the Middle High German word "hase", meaning hare, a quick, very productive, long-eared mammal which is often associated with fertility and new life in various cultures. Therefore, Haas was likely initially a nickname for a swift runner or a very fertile family. The surname is quite popular in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Additionally, some individuals with Jewish ancestry also bear the surname Haas, as it was adopted by some Jewish families in the 19th century. Over time, it has spread across the world due to migration and diaspora. It's also worth noting that the name can occasionally be found in variations such as Haase or Haese based on regional dialect and spelling preferences.

Haas: Where does the name Haas come from?

The last name Haas has multiple origins. In some cases, it is a patronymic surname, which means it was derived from the first name of a male ancestor. In this context, Haas is a Dutch, German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) derivative of the given name Hadewidis, which means "battle + wide". It is also an occupational surname; Haas means "hare" in Dutch and German, so it was often given to a swift runner, a timid person, or a hunter of hares. Haas can also be an Ashkenazic ornamental name, with "haas" meaning "stag".

Today, the surname Haas is common in several countries. It is most prevalent in Germany, followed by the United States. There are also substantial populations of people named Haas in the Netherlands, Austria, and Brazil. In certain regions of the United States, such as the Midwest, the surname Haas has been traced back to early German and Dutch immigrants. The use of this surname offers a glimpse into the ancestral lineage of the bearers and their descent from the early European settlers.

Variations of the surname Haas

The surname Haas has roots in Germany, Netherlands, and nearby regions. Variants of this surname include Haase, Hasse, Haß (with a German Eszett), and Hase. When families migrated, it may have been anglicized to Hase, Hass, or even became Hoss in some instances.

Haas is a metonymic occupational name for a catcher or killer of hares, or possibly for a keeper of a hares' warren. It might also be a variant spelling of the Dutch surname Haes, a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of oats, derived from Middle Dutch hase, meaning 'oat stalk'.

The slur Haas is also often associated with Ashkenazi Jewish families, adopted when they were forced to take on surnames in the German states in the late 18th to early 19th century. As it is a common German surname, not all people named Haas has Jewish heritage.

Jewish surnames like Haas often have variations such as Haase or Haast, especially as families moved and integrated into different countries and languages. Influential factors such as regional dialects, pronunciation, literacy level, and immigration could have effected the variations in spelling of this surname.

Famous people with the name Haas

• Lucas Haas: An American actor known for his roles in movies such as "Witness" and "Inception".
• Barbara Haas: An Austrian professional tennis player.
• David Haas: An American contemporary Catholic liturgical music composer.
• Ernst Haas: A noted Austrian-American photojournalist and color photographer.
• Dominik Haas: A German skier who represented Germany in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• Nikki Haas: A popular American YouTuber.
• Tommy Haas: A retired German-American professional tennis player.
• Peter Haas: An American businessman who was the head of Levi Strauss & Co.
• Mary Roscoe Bennett Haas: An American linguist who specialized in Native American languages.
• John Haas: An American billionaire, the heir to the Rohm and Haas Chemical Company.
• Karl Haas: A German-American classical music radio host best known for his program "Adventures in Good Music".
• Moritz Leopold Haas: A German bibliographer and librarian.
• Marcy Carsey (née Marcy Joanne Curtiss Haas): An American television producer, one of the producers of "The Cosby Show".
• Robert Haas: An American photographer known for his aerial photographs.
• Elsa Haas: A Lithuanian actress and Yiddish theatre director.
• Bernard A. Haas: A U.S. army officer during World War II.
• Fritz Haas: A world-renowned malacologist.
• John W. Haas: An American philanthropist and businessman.
• Nikki Haas: Renowned YouTube star.
• Joachim Haas: The former footballer from Germany.

Other surnames

HaachHaackHaackeHaackerHaafHaaffHaagHaageHaagenHaagerHaagmannHaagmansHaagnerHaahsHaakHaakeHaakerHaakertHaamannHaameaHaanHaaneHaanenHaarbrandtHaarckeHaarkeHaarmannHaartjeHaarwaldtHaase

Comments or additions to the name "Haas"

06.03.2024
My grand parents came from Austro-Hungarian , settled in Slatina Romania. Their name was written as Haasz. They lived at the end in Timisoara Romania. Languages spoken at home were Hungarian, Romanian and Schwab German. Religion -Jewish.