The German surname Metz is derived from a short form of the female personal name Mechthild, composed of the Germanic term maht meaning ‘might, or strength” and  hild Meaning ‘ Battle or strife.’ The name may also derive from Metz in Lorraine, which took its name from a Gaulish tribe, the Mediomatrici; in the name of the place this became abbreviated to Mettis, and later Metz. The earliest record of the name is in 1356 when Peter nit der Metzen is recorded in Glatz, Germany. The name is first recorded in the New World in 1719 when Charles Metz arrived in Louisiana from Bremen Germany. Today there are approximately 20,000 bearers of the name Metz living in the US.

 

METZ ENGRAVED FAMILY CREST RING