Frequency: (182)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German sīde, German Seide ‘silk’ (from Late Latin seta, originally denoting animal hair), hence a metonymic occupational name for a manufacturer or seller of silk.
GIVEN NAMES: French 11%; Jewish 7%; German 5%. Claudel, Dominique, Lucien, Pierre, Serge; Yosef (2), Sol; Egon, Heinz, Rinehart.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
