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

Meyers, 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 Meyers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meyers in America

Meyers is the 586th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meyers surname appeared 57,127 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Meyers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meyers 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 Meyers

The surname MEYERS originated in Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word "meier," which means "a wealthy farmer" or "overseer of an estate." It is also related to the Old High German word "meigar," meaning "steward" or "tenant farmer." The name likely emerged during the medieval period, between the 5th and 15th centuries.

The earliest known records of the name MEYERS can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. The name was often associated with individuals who worked as estate managers or tenant farmers on large agricultural properties owned by nobility or the church.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name MEYERS was Johann Meyers, a farmer and landowner from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Franconia, who was mentioned in a local tax record in 1312. Another notable early reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a certain Henricus Meyers from Leipzig in 1387.

Over time, the name MEYERS underwent various spelling variations, such as Meier, Meyer, Mayer, and Mayr, reflecting regional dialects and scribal practices. Some of these variations were also influenced by the migration of families bearing the name to other parts of Europe and beyond.

Prominent individuals with the surname MEYERS throughout history include:

1. Jeremiah Meyers (1735-1789), an American revolutionary and colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
2. Hans Meyers (1835-1916), a German-American painter and illustrator known for his portraits and scenes depicting Native American life.
3. Henry Meyers (1782-1847), a Dutch-American businessman and politician who served as the 14th Mayor of New York City from 1807 to 1808.
4. Agnes Meyers (1855-1927), a German-American educator and women's rights activist who co-founded the National German-American Teachers' Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
5. Heinrich Meyers (1630-1700), a German Baroque composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.

While the name MEYERS has its roots in German language and culture, it has since spread across the globe through migration and has become a common surname in many countries, particularly in the United States and other regions with significant German-American populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meyers

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

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

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

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