The surnames Chajes (Ashkenazic Hebrew), Chayes, Hayyot, Hayyut, and Hiyyut are written in Hebrew characters as . The family name originated in the Jewish community of sixteenth-century Prague, one of many such matronymic names adopted by the community in the period. It means "Chaya's [child/children]." The use of the Hebrew, rather than a Yiddish spelling, thus produced a double entendre seemingly intended to suggest "vitality".
means animals; means vitality.
People with this surname Abram Chayes (1922–2000), American legal scholar Benno Chajes (1880–1938), German physician and politician Isaac Hayyut (died 1726), Polish rabbi Jennifer Tour Chayes (born 1956), mathematical physicist Menahem Manesh Hayyut (died 1636), Polish rabbi Oscar Chajes (1873–1928), Austrian-American chess player Sarah Chayes (born 1962), American journalist Zvi Hirsch Chajes (1805–1855), Galician rabbi Zwi Perez Chajes (1876–1927), Austrian rabbi J. H. Chajes (born 1965), Israeli-American professor of Jewish thought
See also Chai (symbol) Chayyim (Haim) (pl.) Chayyey (); e.g. Chayei Sarah Surnamed people Chaitin, (Galith) Chayyat', Chayat are from Chayyat' / Khayat / Chait, a tailor (cf.Schneider/Shreyder)
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