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

Messmer, 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 Messmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Messmer in America

Messmer is the 10860th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Messmer surname appeared 2,933 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 Messmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Messmer 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 Messmer

The surname Messmer is of German origin, originating in the southern German regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "messer," meaning "knife," and may have been an occupational name referring to a knife-maker or someone associated with that trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the town records of Kempten, Bavaria, from the year 1568, where a certain Hans Messmer is mentioned as a resident. In the 17th century, the name can be found in various church records and tax registers in the region around Freiburg im Breisgau, a city in present-day Baden-Württemberg.

The Messmer surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most prominent figures was Franz Anton Messmer (1734-1815), a German physician who pioneered the study of animal magnetism, which later became known as mesmerism. His theories and practices were highly influential in the fields of hypnosis and psychotherapy.

Another individual of note was Johann Baptist Messmer (1785-1859), a Swiss Catholic priest and theologian who was a prominent figure in the Old Catholic movement. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century.

In the realm of literature, the German poet and writer Konrad Messmer (1880-1937) gained recognition for his works, including the novel "Der Ölberg" and several collections of poetry. His writings often explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.

The name Messmer has also been associated with various locations, such as the town of Messmersmühle in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, which likely derived its name from an early resident with the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Messmer include Johann Georg Messmer (1733-1804), a German-born priest and missionary who played a significant role in the establishment of Catholicism in the United States, and Theodor Messmer (1891-1970), a Swiss engineer and inventor known for his contributions to the development of mechanical calculators and early computer technology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Messmer

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

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

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

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