Frequency: (341)
(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): nickname for a skilled or enthusiastic dancer, or, as a German name, an occupational name for a professional acrobat, from an agent derivative of Middle High German, German tanzen ‘to dance’ (from Old French danser; the initial t- is the result of hypercorrection of a presumed Low German form). Among Jews, the name may have been taken by Chasidim, since members of this branch of Jewry (which arose in the 18th century) place great emphasis on dancing, and in some cases the name may have been ornamental.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
