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

Geyer, 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 Geyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geyer in America

Geyer is the 4456th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geyer surname appeared 7,962 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Geyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geyer 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 Geyer

The surname GEYER is of German origin and dates back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "geier," meaning "vulture." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who worked with vultures or lived in an area where these birds were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GEYER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Rhineland region of Germany. In a document dated 1287, a man named Conradus Geyer is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the town of Boppard.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the GEYER name appeared in various records across different parts of Germany, indicating that it had spread throughout the region. For instance, in 1436, a Henricus Geyer is recorded as a citizen of Nuremberg, a prominent city in southern Germany.

One notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Geyer (c. 1455-1510), a German humanist and scholar who served as a teacher and rector at the University of Leipzig. He was known for his contributions to the study of Greek and Latin literature.

Another significant individual was Florian Geyer (c. 1490-1525), a German knight and leader of the peasant revolt known as the German Peasants' War. He played a key role in organizing and leading the uprising against the nobles and territorial princes in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the GEYER name appeared in various locations across Europe, suggesting that individuals with this surname had migrated from Germany. For example, in 1628, a man named Hans Geyer is recorded as residing in the town of Herrnhut, located in what is now modern-day Saxony, Germany.

Other notable individuals with the GEYER surname include Johann Daniel Geyer (1660-1737), a German composer and organist who served in the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, and Christian Gottlieb Geyer (1709-1785), a German architect and builder known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the city of Leipzig.

Throughout its history, the GEYER surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across Germany. For instance, there is a town called Geyerswörth in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have derived its name from individuals with the GEYER surname who lived there.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geyer

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

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

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

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