Find out how popular the last name Drayer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Drayer.

Drayer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Drayer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drayer in America

Drayer is the 19538th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drayer surname appeared 1,382 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Drayer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drayer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Drayer

The surname Drayer is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "drehen," which means "to turn" or "to twist." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been employed as turners, spinners, or weavers, professions that involved the twisting or turning of materials.

Historically, the name Drayer is believed to have emerged in the regions of southern Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Wittelsbach Codex, a manuscript compiled in the late 14th century, which mentions a certain "Hainrich Drayer" from the town of Augsburg.

In the 16th century, the Drayer surname appears in various church records and municipal documents from towns and villages across southern Germany. Notable examples include Johannes Drayer, a master weaver from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, born in 1524, and Anna Maria Drayer, a midwife from Schwäbisch Gmünd, who lived in the late 1500s.

As German communities began to migrate and settle in other parts of Europe and the Americas, the Drayer surname spread beyond its original homeland. In the 17th century, records show Drayer families established in the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. One prominent figure from this era was Pieter Drayer, a Dutch merchant and shipping magnate born in Leeuwarden in 1642.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the Drayer name appear in various parts of North America, as German immigrants sought new opportunities in the New World. Jacob Drayer, born in 1732 in Württemberg, Germany, was among the first to settle in Pennsylvania, where he became a successful farmer and landowner. Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Drayer, a German-American author and journalist born in 1787 in Hesse-Kassel, who later emigrated to the United States and published several works on politics and philosophy.

Throughout history, the Drayer surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from artisans and tradespeople to scholars and entrepreneurs. Regardless of their individual pursuits, the name continues to carry the legacy of its German roots and the historical significance of the craft of turning and twisting materials.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drayer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Drayer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Drayer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Drayer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Drayer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Drayer, please contact us.

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