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

Metzler, 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 Metzler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Metzler in America

Metzler is the 5239th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Metzler surname appeared 6,657 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Metzler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Metzler 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 Metzler

The surname Metzler is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is a occupational surname derived from the German word "Metzler," which translates to "butcher" or "meat seller." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the trade of butchery or the sale of meat.

The name is believed to have originated in various regions of present-day Germany, where butchery and meat trading were common professions during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to the 14th century, where a certain Johannes Metzler was mentioned as a local butcher.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in the town chronicles of Augsburg, referencing a merchant named Hans Metzler, who dealt in the sale of meat and other provisions. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of Germany by that time.

An interesting historical reference to the name Metzler can be found in the Grimmelshausen novel "Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus" from 1668, which features a character named Metzler, who is described as a butcher's apprentice.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Metzler dates back to the late 16th century, with the birth of Johann Metzler (1565-1638), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen.

Another notable figure with the surname Metzler was Johann Valentin Metzler (1720-1795), a German court painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg and worked for various European noble families.

In the 19th century, Georg Metzler (1834-1902) gained prominence as a German industrialist and founder of the Metzler Bank, one of the oldest private banks in Germany, which is still in operation today.

The name Metzler has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Metzlersreuth, a town in Bavaria, and Metzlershausen, a village in Thuringia.

It's worth mentioning that the surname Metzler has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Metzler, Metzeler, Metzger, and Metzinger, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Metzler

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

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

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

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