Surname Pless - Meaning and Origin
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Pless: What does the surname Pless mean?
The last name Pless can be traced to its German and Jewish roots. It is derived from the last name “Plesser,” which in turn is a combination of the words “platt” and “ploß.” In German, “platt” means flat and “ploß” means shovel, which were traditionally carved to create the blades used for working the soil. This type of tool was commonly used by farmers to till the land, so the name was likely given to those individuals who were skilled at working the land with a shovel.
Pless is believed to be derived from the town of Pless in Prussia, which is now in part of Poland. The town became a haven for Jews around the 1700s until its capture by Napoleon in 1807. It is believed that Jewish immigrants from Pless brought the surname to the United States.
The surname Pless is also found in the countries of Sweden and Denmark, though the origin is unknown. There is one possible explanation for the use of this name in Scandinavia. Around the 1600s, a group of Dutch immigrants came to the region and brought with them the surname “Pless.” In Sweden and Denmark, the name is typically associated with being a farmer or a laborer.
No matter its origin, the name Pless is a reminder of the countless individuals who were dedicated to working the land in their respective countries. It is a legacy that continues to be associated with hard work and dedication.
Order DNA origin analysisPless: Where does the name Pless come from?
The last name Pless is commonly found in North America, primarily the United States and Canada. The people with the surname Pless generally originate from Germany, and are believed to have been of German ancestry before immigrating to America. In the United States, the name Pless is most prevalent in the south-central states, particularly in Arkansas and Missouri.
It is also quite common, though not as much so, in the northern Midwest, particularly Michigan and Wisconsin, two states in which large numbers of German immigrants settled in the 19th century. The name is also found in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, as well as in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada, in both of which significant German migration occurred in the 19th century.
It is suggestive that Plesses trace their ancestry to the German canton of Baden-Württemburg, where there are a notable number of Pless families to this day. The spelling variation "Plaess" is also commonly found, and this reflects a change of the name's spelling during the immigration process.
The last name Pless is relatively rare in other parts of the world, although some individuals with this surname can be found in Australia, Mexico, and elsewhere. It appears to be more common in North America than anywhere else.
Variations of the surname Pless
The surname Pless originated from an area of eastern Germany known as Silesia. It is a variation of the German name “Plöß”, which roughly translates to “straw cover” or “reed cover”. As a result, the surname has seen a few variations over time, including “Plößer,” “Plös,” and “Plößl.”
In addition to the variations of the German spelling, the surname has also been adapted into different languages and cultures over the centuries. As a result, many other variants of the surname have emerged, including “Plese,” “Plesetich,” “Plesser,” and even “Pleska”.
In the United States, the surname has been altered to “Pless” or “Plese”, while in the United Kingdom it is spelled “Plesetich” or “Pleska”. There have also been cases of the name being spelled as “Plesna” or “Plesny”.
The various variants and spellings of the surname have ultimately resulted in several distinct family lines who trace their origins to the original Silesian Pless surname. This includes families such as Pless, Plese, Plesetich, Pleska, Plesna, and Plesny.
Famous people with the name Pless
- Boris Pless: German actor
- Hans-Adam Pless: former German vice chancellor
- Michael Pless: Canadian actor and filmmaker
- Ernst Pless: German composer
- Joanna Pless: Australian auditor-general
- Julius Pless: Prussian diplomat
- Henry Pless: American philanthropist and businessman
- Anne Pless: German film producer
- Johann Joachim Pless: Danish sculptor
- Christian Pless: Prussian lawyer and politician