Frequency: (209)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Greek: from a nickname meaning ‘left-handed’.
2. Dutch and North German: from the personal name Zervas, a vernacular pet form of Latin Servatius. This was the name of the patron saint of Maastricht, a 14th-century bishop of Tongeren.
GIVEN NAMES: Greek 16%. Athanasios, Christos, Demetre, Dionisios, Efstratios, Ioannis, Markos, Photios, Spiro, Tasos, Vasilios.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
