2000
#5,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,408
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Rare Last name
Myer
An occupational surname referring to a mayor, bailiff, or other high-ranking official.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,963 Americans carry the last name Myer. That puts it at #5,536 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,225 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Myer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Myer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,225
Census rank
#5,536
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,072 bearers of the surname Myer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5536th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Myer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Myer
The surname MYER has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "meier," which means a steward or bailiff responsible for managing a lord's estate or manor. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Meier," which later evolved into various forms such as Meyer, Myer, Myre, and Myre.
One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, where a certain "Henricus Meier" is mentioned in a record dated 1187. Another early record from 1241 in the Oettingen Cartulary, a collection of charters and documents from the German region of Oettingen, mentions a "Waltherus Meyger."
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms in different regions of Germany. For instance, the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of charters from Westphalia, mentions a "Rodolphus Meiger" in 1259. Similarly, the Chronica Regia Coloniensis, a chronicle of the city of Cologne, references a "Conradus Mygere" in 1274.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname MYER was Johannes Myer, a German artist and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1437. He is known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which were used to illustrate books in the early days of printing.
Another notable figure was Philipp Meyer (1737-1819), a German botanist and naturalist from Göttingen. He is best known for his work on the classification and nomenclature of plants, and his contributions to the development of modern botanical taxonomy.
In the United Kingdom, the name MYER is believed to have originated from German immigrants who settled in various parts of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Myer, a merchant from London who is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of 1369.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname MYER emerged. One such person was Sir William Myer (1790-1857), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several Arctic expeditions.
Another prominent figure was Albert James Myer (1828-1880), an American military officer and signal officer who is credited with creating the first practical system of flag communication for the United States Army during the American Civil War.
Overall, the surname MYER has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it was associated with individuals who served as stewards or bailiffs managing estates and manors. Over time, the name spread to various regions and countries, giving rise to several notable individuals who made significant contributions in fields such as art, science, exploration, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Myer
Among Census respondents with the surname Myer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Myer 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 Myer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 5,361
- Black or African American3.2% · 195
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 194
- Two or more races3.1% · 190
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Myer
Myer appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,317
-91 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 481 places
2020
#5,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,072
-245 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,026 | 6,408 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,507 | 6,317 | 2.14 | -91 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 481 places |
| 2020 | #5,536 | 6,072 | 2.03 | -245 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 29 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 Myer 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 | #5,507 | #5,536 | -0.5% |
| Count | 6,317 | 6,072 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 2.03 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Myer bearers went from 6,317 to 6,072 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,507 to #5,536.
FAQ
Myer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Myer?
Name Census estimates that about 6,963 living Americans carry the surname Myer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,225 residents.
How common is Myer?
Myer ranks #5,536 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,072 people with the surname Myer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Myer.
Has Myer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Myer went from 6,317 recorded bearers to 6,072. That is a decrease of 245 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,507 to #5,536.
What does the Census say about the background of Myer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Myer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Myer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (5,361 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Myer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (3.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Myer (2000, 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 Myer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a mayor, bailiff, or other high-ranking official. 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 Myer (2.03 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 Myer?
If you just want to know how many people are called Myer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.