Meyer (surname)

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This article is about the surname and a list of people with the surname. For other uses, see Meyer.
Not to be confused with Meier.
Meyer
Origin
Region of originGermany, The Netherlands, Israel
Other names
Variant form(s)(see below)
Look up Meyer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The surname Meyer is an English, Dutch, German, and Jewish surname. With its numerous variants (Myer, Meyr, Meier, Meijer, Mayer, Maier, Mayr, Mair etc., though not all instances of these names are necessarily cognate), it is the most common German surname.[1] Its original meaning in Middle High German mei(g)er is "manager (of a lord's country estate)", derived from Latin maior domus, i.e. "headman of a household" (cf. mayor), later on also simply meaning "tenant" or "(free) farmer". It is therefore a rough equivalent of the English Steward which has also frequently been turned into a surname (incl. Stuart and other variants).

This appellation was also frequently used to form longer, more specific surnames, cf. Bergmair, Niedermeier etc. Furthermore, many German Jews adopted Meyer or a variant thereof as a surname when they assimilated to German culture in the 18th century, as it is close to the Hebrew first name Me'ir (מֵאִיר), i.e. "shining, enlightened".[2]

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 41.3% of all known bearers of the surname Meyer were residents of Germany (frequency 1:248), 26.7% of the United States (1:1,727), 11.6% of South Africa (1:592), 7.6% of France (1:1,113), 3.4% of Switzerland (1:310), 1.4% of Brazil (1:18,806) and 1.0% of Canada (1:4,620).[citation needed]

In Germany, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:248) in the following states:[3]

While the name is quite common in most German-speaking areas, there is a curious gap (German Meier-Loch) of lower frequency in Central Germany, as the usual designation for a person fulfilling a Meyer's duties there was Hofmann.[4]

Notable people

A–D

E–K

L–Z

See also

References

  1. ^ "Most Common Last Names In Germany". Forebears. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  2. ^ Anita Diamant, The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies, Customs: A Guide for Today's Families (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1993).
  3. ^ Meyer surname distribution
  4. ^ "Hier wohnen Hinz und Kunz". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 17 May 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
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