Surname Vaass - Meaning and Origin

Vaass: What does the surname Vaass mean?

Vaass is a Dutch surname derived from the Old Dutch word vaes, which means certain types of barrens or wasteland. This surname was likely assigned to someone who worked in a barren or wasteland area, suggesting an occupation such as farming or forestry. Other variations of this same word were also used, such as vass and vos, which both translated to a type of forest. This type of surname was common in the Netherlands, and was oftentimes used to differentiate between two people with the same given name in a village.

Vaass is an Old Dutch name, although it has been found amongst geographical locations and families in Germany and France. In many cases, the name was adopted to reflect the surroundings of the community or the family's profession with which it was associated. It is thought that those of the Vaass surname were likely artisans or had some sort of trade in woodworking or as a craftsman.

This surname is often spelled with two s' (Vaass), but there have been other variations of it such as Vass, Vos, and Voor. The meaning can vary slightly, but overall it reflects an association with a barren and often isolated area. It is likely that the people of this surname were originally farmers, foresters, or artisans.

Vaass: Where does the name Vaass come from?

The last name Vaass is not particularly common today, although records of its usage can be traced as far back as the 16th century.

Originally, the name was found mainly in Flanders, a region of Northern Belgium, where records show that it was used by some of the families living in the area during this time.

In recent centuries, however, the usage of the name has spread across Europe – particularly to Germany, the Netherlands and France. Records show that, during the 19th and 20th centuries, Vaass was often used as a surname amongst members of the military who served in either the Netherlands or Germany.

Nowadays, however, the name Vaass is most commonly found amongst Dutch-speaking populations across the world. This is the result of Dutch migration, which occurred during the 20th and 21st centuries, when people from the Netherlands and Belgium moved to other countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.

The name is also becoming increasingly popular in Lithuania, due to the presence of a small Vaass family who have lived in it since the 18th century.

Overall, the last name Vaass continues to be spread across the world, though the largest concentrations are likely to be in the Dutch-speaking countries of the world, especially in Northern Europe.

Variations of the surname Vaass

The surname Vaass has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Vaass can be found in several European linguistic regions, and the name has taken on multiple forms over the centuries. Variant spellings include Vass, Vassen, Vasser, Vääs(s), Vaassen, Wâs(s), Wâsen, Wasser, Wässer, Wass, and Wāss. Surnames of similar origin include Vaes, Waes, and Waas.

The Dutch and German-speaking variants of the surname, Vass, Vaas, Vaes, and Vaass, are all derived from the Old German word “vaas” or “waas”, which can be translated as “band” or “binding”. This derivation likely points to an occupation of the original bearer of the name – someone who was a maker of bands or bindings.

A similar name, Wasser, can be found in Eastern European Jewish families. This surname is derived from the Hebrew word “vasser” or “vasserah”, meaning “to heal” or “to soothe” and is likely linked to the ancient Hebrew tradition of healing and medical care.

Similarly, some French variants of the Vaass surname, such as Vasser, Vaassen and Wasser, have derived from the Latin word “vasseau” or “vasseaux”, which means “ship” or “boat”. This points to a possible occupational origin of the surname – the bearer was likely a shipbuilder or ship captain in the past.

Finally, the German surname Wässer has likely derived from the Middle-High German “wasser”, or “water,” pointing to a possible origin related to a water-based occupation.

Overall, a variety of spelling variations and surnames of similar origin can be found for the Vaass surname. Many of these point to possible occupational origins of the family, such as healer, boat captain, or shipbuilder.

Famous people with the name Vaass

• Roy Vaas, Dutch professional football (soccer) player
• Morten Vaas, Swedish Bachata and Kizomba dancer
• Mai Vaas, Norwegian film actress
• Monica Vaas, British celebrity photographer
• Jay Vaas, Dutch singer-songwriter
• Mauro Vaas, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and actor
• Jeroen Vaas, Dutch YouTube personality
• Pity Vaas, Ecuadorian bassist and vocalist
• Maaike Vaas, Dutch visual artist
• Ronan Vaas, Irish actor

Other surnames

VaasVaasenVaassen