Meyer (surname)

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 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.

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

In 2014, the surname Meyer was most often found (by percentage of the population) in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and South Africa. The name ranked 6th in Germany and 8th in Switzerland.[3]

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 Origin, Meaning & Last Name History". forebears.io. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
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