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

Maer, 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 Maer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maer in America

Maer is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maer surname appeared 103 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 Maer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maer 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 Maer

The surname MAER is of German origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era, around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "mer," meaning "sea" or "lake." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived in coastal or lakeside regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MAER surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, Germany, where a certain "Heinrich Maer" was mentioned in a document dated 1297. This document pertained to a land transaction, indicating that the Maers were likely landowners or individuals of some standing within the community.

In the 15th century, the MAER surname appeared in various manuscripts and records across different regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. One notable example is Johannes Maer, a scholar and theologian born in Nuremberg around 1420, who authored several treatises on religious matters.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Mayer," "Mair," and "Mayr." One prominent individual bearing this name was Simon Mair (c. 1475-1546), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.

In the 16th century, the MAER surname made its way to the Netherlands, where it was sometimes written as "Maer" or "Maere." One notable figure from this era was Pieter Maer (1544-1615), a Dutch Renaissance painter known for his religious and allegorical works.

Another individual of note was Johann Maer (1597-1671), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in Nuremberg and served as a professor at the University of Altdorf.

As the name continued to spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including England and Scotland. While less common in these areas, there are records of individuals bearing the MAER surname, such as William Maer, a Scottish merchant who lived in Edinburgh in the late 17th century.

Throughout history, the MAER surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, merchants, and landowners. While its origins may be rooted in geographic descriptors, the name has evolved to represent a diverse range of individuals and their accomplishments across different parts of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maer

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

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

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

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