Weyers last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Weyers

A surname of German origin meaning a resident of a pasture or meadow.

Weyers, 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 Weyers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weyers in America

Weyers is the 27081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weyers surname appeared 894 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 Weyers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weyers 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27081 26035 3.94%
Count 894 885 1.01%
Proportion per 100k 0.30 0.33 -9.52%

The history of the last name Weyers

The surname Weyers is of European origin, with its roots likely traced back to Germany and the Low Countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium. The name can be linked to the word "weier" or "weiher" in German, meaning "pond" or "pool," which indicates that it may have been a topographic surname for someone who lived near a pond. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Middle High German word "wer" (dam, fishpond), suggesting a possible focus on those who managed or lived near such water features.

Weyers can be found in historical records dating back to medieval times. During the Middle Ages, the surname was often spelled in various forms, such as Weyer, Weiher, or Weyher. These different spellings depended on regional dialects and the degree of literacy in those areas. Records from the Rhineland, for instance, where the name is thought to have been particularly common, show variations of the name appearing in legal documents, church registers, and tax records from the 14th century onwards.

In the Netherlands, the Weyers surname appeared in early Dutch Reformed Church records from the 16th and 17th centuries, a time of significant social and religious upheaval. These records often documented baptisms, marriages, and deaths, providing crucial links between families and their genealogical history. The surname could have been borne by people who resided near weirs or water barriers, which were common in the low-lying, water-managed landscape of the Netherlands.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Heinrich Weyers, born in 1564 in Cologne, who was noted for his work as a merchant. His records provide insight into the early commercial activities and social standing of individuals with this surname. Another early figure was Jan Weyers, a prominent figure in Utrecht during the early 1600s, who played a significant role in local governance and infrastructure development.

Several notable people carried the Weyers surname throughout history. Johann Weyers (1564-1638), a physician in Germany, authored various medical treatises that influenced his field. Similarly, Hendrik Weyers, born in 1732, was a Dutch landscape painter known for his depictions of the Dutch countryside, which remain well-regarded today. The name also appears in military history, with Karl von Weyers (1773-1850), a general in the Prussian Army, demonstrating the surname's spread beyond civilian life into the military sphere.

Records from the 19th century reveal the surname's presence in immigration lists, with individuals like Peter Weyers, born in 1798, who emigrated from the Rhineland to America during the waves of 19th-century European emigration. These emigrants often sought new opportunities and contributed to the wide geographical spread of the surname.

By tracing the etymology and historical records associated with the Weyers surname, we observe its deep roots in European history and culture. Figures such as Heinrich Weyers, Johann Weyers, Hendrik Weyers, Karl von Weyers, and Peter Weyers highlight the diverse roles that bearers of this surname played across different periods and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weyers

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

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 Weyers was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.41% 853
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.89% 8
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.56% 5
Hispanic Origin 2.57% 23

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 Weyers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.41% 97.51% -2.18%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.89% 0.56% 45.52%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.56% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.57% 1.47% 54.46%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Weyers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyers-surname-popularity/.

"Weyers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyers-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Weyers last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/weyers-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.