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

Dreyer, 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 Dreyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dreyer in America

Dreyer is the 5175th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dreyer surname appeared 6,751 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dreyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dreyer 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 Dreyer

The surname Dreyer originated in Germany and has its roots in the Germanic word "dreier," which means "turner" or "one who turns." This name was likely given to individuals who practiced the trade of turning wood or other materials on a lathe.

The name Dreyer can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck in the northern part of the country. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Hermannus Dreyer, who was mentioned in a document from the city of Lübeck in 1388.

In the 15th century, the name Dreyer appeared in several historical records, such as the Bürgermatrikel (citizen registry) of the city of Hamburg, where it was spelled as "Dreyer" and "Dreier." This suggests that the name had variations in its spelling during that time period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Dreyer was Hans Dreyer, a merchant who lived in the city of Lübeck in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe.

Another notable figure was Johannes Dreyer, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1572 to 1626. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and published several works, including the "Tabulae Rudolphinae," which contained improved planetary tables based on the observations of Tycho Brahe.

In the 17th century, the name Dreyer was also found in records from the Netherlands, where it was likely introduced by German immigrants. One example is Pieter Dreyer, a Dutch painter who lived from 1634 to 1706 and was known for his still-life paintings and portraits.

The surname Dreyer also has a connection to the Danish island of Bornholm, where it is believed to have been introduced by German settlers in the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable individual from this region was Johan Dreyer, a Danish writer and poet who lived from 1854 to 1934 and was celebrated for his works depicting life on the island of Bornholm.

Throughout history, there have been several other individuals with the surname Dreyer who have made contributions in various fields, including the arts, sciences, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dreyer

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

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 Dreyer 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 Dreyer 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 Dreyer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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