Pankratz Family History
Pankratz Name Meaning
German: from the personal name Pankratz from Latin Pancratius Greek Pankratios a name derived from the term pankratēs ‘all-in wrestler’ from pan ‘all every’ + kratein ‘to conquer subdue’. This Greek name was re-analysed by early Christians as meaning ‘Almighty’ and thus a suitable epithet of Christ. The name was borne by a 4th-century Christian martyr hence its popularity as a personal name in the Middle Ages. Saint Pancras is one of the Ice Saints (see also Boniface and Servatius ) so called in central European folklore because their feast days fall on the days of May 12 May 13 and May 14 a time when in central Europe there was often a brief spell of cold weather bringing the last frost before summer.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022
