Sachs

Sachs is a German surname meaning "man from Saxony." It originates from the German Sachsen, referring to the region of Saxony, named after the Germanic tribe of the Saxons. Ultimately the name derives from the Germanic root sahsą, meaning "knife." Sachs is common among Ashkenazi Jews from Saxony; in some Jewish communities, the variant Zaks was adopted, sometimes linked to the Hebrew phrase Zera Kodesh Shemo (‏זֶרַע קֹדֶשׁ שְׁמוֹ‎‎, "his name is Holy Seed," from Isaiah 6:13). In the United States, the spelling Sachs is used more broadly.

Distribution and Variants

As a surname, Sachs is most frequent in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as among Ashkenazi Jewish populations around the world. Related forms include Sachsen (the regional name), the Yiddish variant Zaks, and the Latinized Sachsius. Other spelling variants include Sachse, Sax, and Saxon.

Notable Bearers

Many notable individuals bear the Sachs surname:

• Andrew Sachs (1930–2016), German-British actor best known for playing Manuel in Fawlty Towers
• Curt Sachs (1881–1959), German musicologist and co-author of the Hornbostel–Sachs classification of musical instruments
• Bernard Sachs (1858–1944), American neurologist after whom Tay–Sachs disease is named
• Albie Sachs (born 1935), South African activist and former Constitutional Court Justice
• Golda Meir (born Golda Mabovitch), prime minister of Israel, used on occasion the pen name Golda Sacb in her writings

Other bearers include Hans Sachs (1494–1576), German master singer and playwright, and Nelly Sachs (1891–1970), Nobel Prize–winning German–Swedish poet and playwright.

• Meaning: "man from Saxony"
• Origin: German (derived from region and tribe of the Saxons)
• Type: Locational/ethnic surname
• Usage regions: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and among Ashkenazi Jews worldwide
• Related names: Sachsen, Zaks, Sax