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Moyer Family History

Moyer Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Meyer or Mayer. French: status name for a sharecropper from an agent derivative of Old French moie ‘half’. In some cases also an Americanized form of Dutch Mooijer: surname associated with Maaijer an occupational name for a mower or reaper (see Maier).

However almost all bearers come from Volendam (North Holland) where the surname originated as Pooijer possibly a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman (peurder) or a nickname for someone carrying a ponjaard ‘dagger’.

The surname was changed to Mooijer due to the connotation with Dutch pooier ‘bully fancy-man’.

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


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Where is the Moyer family from?

You can see how Moyer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Moyer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Moyer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 46 Moyer families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Moyer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Moyer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Moyer 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 Moyer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Moyer. 50% of Moyer men worked as an Incapacitated and 86% of Moyer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Moyer were Plasterer and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Moyer | 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

  • Incapacitated
    50%
  • Plasterer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Domestic Duties
    5%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    5%

What Moyer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 171,000 census records available for the last name Moyer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Moyer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Moyer

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Moyer. 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 Moyer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35,000 military records available for the last name Moyer. For the veterans among your Moyer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Moyer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Moyer family history

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What is the average Moyer lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Moyer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Moyer in 1944 was 27, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Moyer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Moyer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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