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

Meisner, 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 Meisner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meisner in America

Meisner is the 9415th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meisner surname appeared 3,454 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Meisner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meisner 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 Meisner

The surname Meisner originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "Meister," meaning "master" or "skilled artisan," suggesting that it may have initially been an occupational surname for a master craftsman or skilled worker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Meisner surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, where a certain "Hermannus Meysnere" is mentioned in a document dated 1284. This early spelling variation, "Meysnere," highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 14th century, the Meisner surname appears in various historical records across German-speaking regions, including the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch (Württemberg historical records) from 1337, where a "Conrad Meisner" is mentioned.

During the 16th century, the Meisner name gained prominence with the birth of Michael Meisner (1497-1566), a German Reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another notable figure with the Meisner surname was Daniel Meisner (1585-1625), a German artist and engraver known for his intricate calligraphic works and illustrations. His engravings were widely distributed throughout Europe and are considered valuable artifacts in the study of early modern European art and typography.

In the 18th century, Johann Heinrich Meisner (1718-1782) was a German Lutheran theologian and writer who authored several influential works on theology and philosophy. His most notable work, "Philosophia Sacra," published in 1761, explored the relationship between reason and revelation in Christian theology.

Moving into the 19th century, Ernst Meisner (1826-1895) was a German botanist and taxonomist who made significant contributions to the study of plant classification. He published numerous works on the flora of Central and South America, including his seminal work, "Plantarum Vascularium Genera," which remains a valuable reference for botanists and plant taxonomists.

Throughout its history, the Meisner surname has been associated with various place names and geographic locations within Germany, such as Meisner (a village in Saxony-Anhalt), Meisnerberg (a mountain range in Hesse), and Meisnerstadt (a town in Bavaria), further reinforcing the name's deep roots in German culture and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meisner

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

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

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

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