Surname Urbatis - Meaning and Origin

Urbatis: What does the surname Urbatis mean?

The last name Urbatis (pronounced "er-buh-tis") is believed to resound from Lithuania. Urbatis is derived from the word "urbinai," which translates to "habitants of an urb." An "urb" typically referred to an enclosed area around a fortified settlement and referred to the settlers who lived in the area. Over time, "urbinai" eventually became the surname "Urbatis."

The surname can also be an altered form of the German and East Prussian last name "Uebbing," which is derived more directly from the term "Uebb," meaning "upper rim." Similarly, the Lithuanian surname "Urbatis" was originally derived from the Latin "urbata," meaning "upper part or rim."

In many instances, Urbatis families have chosen to customize the spelling of their surname depending on the country in which they reside. Alternative spellings include Urbaitis, Urbacytas, Urbacevicius, Urbacius, and Urbacevius.

Urbatis was, and in some cases still is, a common family name in Lithuania. It is also a prominent family name in various other parts of Eastern Europe, including Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, and Prussia. Additionally, Urbatis families have lived in the United States since at least the 1840s, when census records first begin to detail the presence of Urbatis individuals in the country.

Today, the Urbatis surname is a popular Lithuanian family name around the world. Although it may have evolved in spelling over time, the original intention of the surname remains—to represent habitants of a fortified settlement.

Urbatis: Where does the name Urbatis come from?

The last name Urbatis is of Lithuanian origin and is most commonly found in Lithuania and other countries where migration of Lithuanian people has taken place including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Europe. In Lithuania, the name is found more prominently in the northeast region of the country, and many families with the surname Urbatis have lived there for generations.

In the United States, the name is quite rare with the U.S. Census reporting just over 150 reported individuals living in the country with the surname. Much of this population is located in the Midwest, particularly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Many of the Urbatis individuals in the United States can trace their ancestry back to Lithuanian immigrants who settled in the upper Midwest beginning in the late 19th century.

In the UK, the name is more uncommon with estimated census figures indicating around 600 Urbatis living in the UK today. In both the UK and the US, Urbatis individuals are likely to come from second or third generation Lithuanian Americans or British Lithuanians.

In Australia, the surname is much less prevalent with an estimated total of about 300 individuals carrying the name living there. Of these, the majority are located in the southeast of the country, most likely with ancestry linked to Lithuanian migration to Australia during the post-war years.

Overall, the surname Urbatis is most closely linked to Lithuania, however, it continues to be found around the world.

Variations of the surname Urbatis

Urbatis is a surname of Lithuanian origin meaning “son of the bear”. It can also be spelled as Urbáťis and Urbátiš. Variations of this surname include Urbas, Urbats, Urbasa, and Urbos.

This surname is commonly found in Lithuania and is typically derived from the personal name of Urbats, which was a pet form of Urbacis or Urbacius, a personal name found in the 13th century. The name is also derived from the Lithuanian “urvas”, meaning bear, making it an occupational name literally meaning "one who tamed bears." Variants of Urbatis can be seen in other countries too, including Belarus, Latvia, Poland, and the United States.

In Belarus, Urbáťis can also be seen spelled as Urbuts, Ubatz, Urbanets, and Urbanish. In Poland, Urbatis can be seen as Urbanek. In Latvia, variations on this surname include Urbets, Urbats, and Urbiks.

In the United States, variants of the Urbatis surname include Urbats, Urbates, Urboth, and Urbatt.

Thus, Urbatis is an old Lithuanian surname of origin meaning “son of the bear”, with many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin coming from both similar language regions as well as the United States.

Famous people with the name Urbatis

• Justas Urbaitis: Lithuanian historian and professor at Vytautas Magnus University.
• Ramūnas Urbaitis: Lithuanian basketball player.
• Andrius Urbaitis: Lithuanian association football player.
• Arnold Urbaitis: Canadian comedian and actor.
• Mindaugas Urbaitis: music composer and singer from Lithuania.
• Laurynas Urbaitis: Lithuanian athlete.
• Sergio Urbaitis: Uruguayan footballer.
• Mantas Urbaitis: Lithuanian basketball player.
• Kostas Urbaitis: Lithuanian association football player.
• Ignas Urbaitis: Lithuanian freestyle skier.

Other surnames

UrbatUrbath