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

Métayer, 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 Métayer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Métayer in America

Métayer is the 22770th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Métayer surname appeared 1,125 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 Métayer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Métayer 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 Métayer

The surname METAYER has its origins in France, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "metayer," which referred to a tenant farmer who paid a portion of his crop as rent to the landowner. This occupation-based surname reflects the agricultural heritage of the region.

The earliest recorded instances of the name METAYER can be found in medieval records from the Poitou region of western France. In a charter dated 1275, a certain Pierre METAYER is mentioned as a witness, indicating the surname's presence in that area during that time period.

During the 14th century, the name METAYER appeared in various regions of France, including Brittany and Normandy. One notable mention is in the Exchequer Rolls of Normandy from 1345, where a Guillaume METAYER is listed as a taxpayer.

As the name spread throughout France, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as MESTHEYER, METHAIER, and METTAYER. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written records during that era.

In the 16th century, the METAYER surname gained prominence with the birth of François METAYER (1535-1596), a French Renaissance poet and translator from Touraine. His works, which included translations of Greek and Latin texts, earned him recognition among the literary circles of his time.

Another notable figure was Jean METAYER (1619-1688), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and established missions among the indigenous populations. His accounts of his travels and interactions with the Native Americans provide valuable historical insights into that period.

During the 17th century, the surname METAYER was also found in the Pays de la Loire region of western France, where villages and hamlets bore names like "Metayerie" or "La Metairie," reflecting the agricultural roots of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the METAYER surname in North America dates back to 1636, when Jacques METAYER, a French settler, arrived in Quebec, Canada. This early migration of the name to the New World illustrates its spread beyond the borders of France.

In the 18th century, Pierre METAYER (1720-1792) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Roch and the Théâtre des Italiens.

Throughout its history, the surname METAYER has been associated with various occupations, from farmers and landowners to artisans, intellectuals, and religious figures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Métayer

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

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

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

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