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

Meier, 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 Meier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meier in America

Meier is the 1391st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meier surname appeared 25,486 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Meier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meier 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 Meier

The surname MEIER has its origins in Germany and is derived from the German word "Meier," which referred to a bailiff, steward, or tenant farmer. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century, during the era of the Holy Roman Empire.

The name MEIER was particularly common in the southern and central regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony. It is thought to have evolved from the Old High German word "meier," which meant a steward or overseer of an estate or manor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MEIER can be found in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Coloniensis, a 12th-century manuscript from the Archdiocese of Cologne. This document mentions a "Hartmannus Meier" from the year 1149.

Another notable historical reference is the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the former German state of Württemberg. This compilation includes several mentions of individuals with the surname MEIER, such as "Cunradus Meier" in 1289 and "Henricus Meier" in 1302.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name MEIER was Johannes Meier, a German theologian and reformer who lived from around 1425 to 1501. He played a significant role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation.

Other notable individuals with the surname MEIER throughout history include:

1. Joachim Meier (1661-1732), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg.
2. Ernst Meier (1832-1911), a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council.
3. Julius Meier (1874-1957), an American businessman and co-founder of the Weyerhaeuser Company.
4. Christian Meier (born 1976), a German actor known for his roles in films like "The Lives of Others" and "The Baader Meinhof Complex."
5. Sebastian Meier (born 1990), a German professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper.

While the surname MEIER is most commonly associated with Germany, it has also been found in other German-speaking regions, such as Switzerland and Austria, as well as in countries with significant German immigration, like the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meier

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!