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Meyer Family History

Meyer Surname Meaning

German and Swiss German: from Middle High German meier a status name for a steward bailiff or overseer which later came to be used also to denote a tenant farmer which is normally the sense in the many compound surnames formed with this term as a second element. Originally it denoted a village headman (ultimately from Latin maior ‘greater superior’). This form of the surname is also established in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine); see also 3 below.

Compare Maier Mayer Meier and Myer. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Meyer from Hebrew Meir ‘enlightener’ a derivative of or ‘light’ with the prefix m-. Compare Maier Majer Major Mayer Mayor Meier and Meir.

Dutch: variant also Flemish and Americanized of Meijer a cognate of 1 above. This surname is also established in South Africa where it was also brought from France (see 1 above).

English: variant of Mayer. Danish: variant of Meier.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Meyer family from?

You can see how Meyer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Meyer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Meyer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 512 Meyer families living in London. This was about 46% of all the recorded Meyer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Meyer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Meyer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Meyer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Private Means and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Meyer. 10% of Meyer men worked as a Private Means and 60% of Meyer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Meyer were Bank Clerk and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Meyer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Private Means
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Company Director
    6%
  • Bank Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    60%
  • Private Means
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Meyer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 741,000 census records available for the last name Meyer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Meyer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Meyer

Passenger Lists

There are 307,000 immigration records available for the last name Meyer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Meyer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 220,000 military records available for the last name Meyer. For the veterans among your Meyer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Meyer military records

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