Meyer Family History

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Meyer Name Meaning

German and Dutch: 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’). Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Meyer (from Hebrew Meir ‘enlightener’, a derivative of Hebrew or ‘light’). Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Meidhir, from meidhir ‘mirth’. Danish: variant spelling of Meier 3.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Meier, Mayer, Heyer, Moyer, Neyer, Meyers, Meer, Seyer, Geyer, Beyer

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Meyer Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Meyer name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Meyer. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    41%

  • Germanic Europe

    19%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    14%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    4%

  • Norway

    4%

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Meyer Family Origin

Where is the Meyer family from?

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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 the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 473 Meyer families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Meyer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Meyer families in 1911.
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.

View Census Data for Meyer

Meyer Family Occupations

What did your Meyer ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Meyer occupation in Canada was Farmer. 36% of Meyer's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Student were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Meyer. A less common occupation for the Meyer family was Carpenter.

View Census data for Meyer | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    36%

  • Laborer

    4%

  • Student

    4%

  • Carpenter

    3%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Meyer ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Meyer Historical Records

What Meyer family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1881 Canadian census records for Meyer

Passenger List

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

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Draft Card

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

You've only scratched the surface of Meyer family history.

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Meyer Life Expectancy

What is the average Meyer lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Meyer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Meyer in 1941 was 33, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Meyer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Meyer 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.

Famous Meyer Family Ancestors

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