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

Guyer, 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 Guyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guyer in America

Guyer is the 6781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guyer surname appeared 4,974 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 Guyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guyer 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 Guyer

The surname "GUYER" is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "gier," which means "greed" or "desire." This suggests that the surname may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was perceived as greedy or overly ambitious.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the church records of the town of Worms, Germany, where a certain Hans Guyer was mentioned in 1567. Another early reference is found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a Johannes Guyer was documented in 1589.

During the 17th century, the name began to spread to other regions of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Switzerland and Austria. In the Swiss canton of Bern, for instance, there are records of a family named Guyer residing in the village of Münsingen as early as 1621.

As the name spread, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Guier, Guyer, and Guyher. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable individual with the surname "GUYER" was Johann Guyer (1592-1658), a Swiss Protestant theologian and professor at the University of Basel. Another was Samuel Guyer (1748-1828), a Swiss-born American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Saratoga.

In the 19th century, the name began to appear in the United States as a result of German and Swiss immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances in America was that of Johannes Guyer (1813-1888), who was born in Switzerland and later settled in Ohio.

Other notable individuals with the surname "GUYER" include:

1. Michael Guyer (1699-1764), a Swiss pastor and theologian.
2. Bernhard Guyer (1820-1887), a Swiss politician and lawyer.
3. Jacob Guyer (1819-1908), an American farmer and pioneer in Wisconsin.
4. Ida Guyer (1888-1958), an American artist and educator.
5. Melchior Guyer (1486-1549), a Swiss theologian and reformer.

While the surname "GUYER" may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history spanning multiple countries and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guyer

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

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

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

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