2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mejer
A surname of Dutch or German origin meaning "farmer" or "landowner."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Mejer. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mejer surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Mejer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mejer, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mejer
The surname "MEJER" is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "Meier," which means a steward or a manager of an estate. It was a title given to those who oversaw the operations of large farms or estates owned by wealthy landowners or nobles.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly prevalent in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, where large agricultural estates were common. The name's spelling has evolved over time, with variations like "Meier," "Meyer," "Mayer," and "Mayr" being quite common.
One notable historical reference to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents from medieval Saxony. This collection contains several mentions of individuals with the surname "Mejer" or similar spellings, indicating their roles as stewards or managers of estates.
In the 15th century, records show a prominent individual named Johann Mejer (c. 1420-1490), who served as the mayor of the city of Nuremberg in the Holy Roman Empire. His tenure as mayor was marked by significant urban development and the promotion of trade and commerce.
Another notable figure was Hans Mejer (1480-1547), a German painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, were highly influential during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, a renowned German composer and organist named Michael Mejer (1570-1626) gained recognition for his contributions to sacred and secular music. He served as the court organist for the Elector of Saxony and composed numerous works for organ and voice.
The 17th century saw the rise of Johann Friedrich Mejer (1629-1695), a German jurist and legal scholar who made significant contributions to the development of German civil law. His works, such as "Jus Feudale Saxonicum," became influential legal texts in Europe.
In the 18th century, Johann Georg Mejer (1718-1789) was a prominent German theologian and philosopher who played a crucial role in the Enlightenment movement. His writings focused on natural theology and the reconciliation of reason and faith, influencing many intellectual circles of his time.
These historical figures and records demonstrate the longstanding presence and significance of the surname "MEJER" in German history, particularly in the fields of governance, arts, music, law, and philosophy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mejer
Among Census respondents with the surname Mejer, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mejer bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mejer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.9% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino30.6% · 33
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mejer
Mejer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-16 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 15,342 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mejer surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #150,935 | -11.3% |
| Count | 124 | 108 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mejer bearers went from 124 to 108 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 15,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,935.
FAQ
Mejer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mejer?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Mejer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Mejer?
Mejer ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Mejer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mejer.
Has Mejer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mejer went from 124 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Mejer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mejer, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mejer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mejer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.9%), Hispanic (30.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mejer (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mejer mean?
A surname of Dutch or German origin meaning "farmer" or "landowner." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mejer (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Mejer?
You can see how many people have the last name Mejer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.