Show ContentsMessier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Messier family

The surname Messier was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where this eminent family has held a family seat since very early times.

Early History of the Messier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Messier research. Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1240, 1255, 1458, 1511, 1536, 1646, 1705 and 1781 are included under the topic Early Messier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Messier Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Messey, Messeys, Messie, Messies, Messee, Messier, Mesey, Meseys, Mesie, Mesies, Mesee, de Messey and many more.

Early Notables of the Messier family

More information is included under the topic Early Messier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Messier World Ranking

In the United States, the name Messier is the 5,863rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Messier is ranked the 973rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,563 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Messier is the 370th popular surname. 3


United States Messier migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Messier Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Johannes Messier, who arrived in New York, NY in 1650 4
Messier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A. Messier, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1892
  • Ernestin Messier, aged 2, who immigrated to America, in 1892
  • Heinrich Messier, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
  • Mr. Heinrich Messier, aged 37, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Bourgogne" 5
  • Geo. Andrew Messier, aged 47, who landed in America, in 1897
Messier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Richard J Messier, who landed in Colorado in 1900 4
  • Roxie Messier, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1921

Canada Messier migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Messier Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Michel Messier, son of David and Margeurite, who married Anne Lemoyne, daughter of Pierre and Judith, in Montreal, Quebec on 25th February 1658 6
  • André Messier, son of Jean and Jeanne, who married Anne Aubry, daughter of Louis and Julienne, in Quebec on 16th September 1673 6
  • Jacques Messier, son of David and Marguerite, who married Marie-Renée Couillard, daughter of François and Marie-Esther, in Quebec in 1685 6
Messier Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • François-Michel Messier, son of Michel and Anne, who married Marie-Anne Amiot, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Geneviève, in Varennes, Quebec on 6th February 1706 6
  • Jacques Messier, son of Jacques and Marie-Renée, who married Isabelle Bissonnet, daughter of Jacques and Marguerite, in Varennes, Quebec on 23rd November 1712 6
  • René Messier, son of Michel and Anne, who married Marie-Madeleine Guillet, daughter of Louis and Marie, in Batiscan, Quebec on 25th August 1718 6
  • François-Michel Messier, son of Michel and Anne, who married Marie-Jeanne Duval, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Saint-Ours, Quebec on 8th October 1725 6
  • Jean-Baptiste Messier, son of François-Michel and Marie-Anne, who married Marie-Anne Mongeau, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Élisabeth, in Varennes, Quebec on 19th November 1731 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Messier migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Messier Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas J. Messier, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashburton" in 1857

Contemporary Notables of the name Messier (post 1700) +

  • Roland E. Messier, American politician, Mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island, 1970-71
  • Jean-Marie Messier (b. 1956), French businessman, former Chairman and Chief Executive of Vivendi SA
  • Charles Messier (1730-1817), French astronomer most notable for publishing an astronomical catalogue consisting of deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters that came to be known as the 103 "Messier objects"
  • Mark Douglas Messier (b. 1961), retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey centre inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (2007)
  • Marc Messier (b. 1947), Canadian actor, recipient of two Gemini awards for best lead male role in 1988
  • Éric Messier (b. 1973), retired Canadian NHL ice hockey defenceman


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2130
  6. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.


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