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Myer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Myer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Israel
Ireland

The name Myer is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a person who held the office of mayor. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word maire, which referred to the officer who was in charge of executing summonses and other legal matters. Therefore, the original bearer of the surname Myer held the office of Mayor. 1

Early Origins of the Myer family

The surname Myer was first found in Cheshire at Mere, a township, in the parish of Rosthern, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Mera. 2

Literally, the place name means "(place at) the pool or lake," from the Old English word "mere." 3 Alternatively, the surname could have originated at Mere in Wiltshire, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Mere. This parish was listed in the Domesday Book, but with the current spelling of Mere. 2

In this case, "the name of this place is derived from the Saxon word Mæra, signifying bounds or limits, and indicates its situation on the borders of the counties of Wilts, Somerset, and Dorset. In 1253, permission was given by Henry III. to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to build and fortify a castle on his manor of Mere, and the manor has ever since been attached to the duchy of Cornwall. " 4

The family was listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey as companions to William the Conqueror. "The descendants of this Norman knight occupied a prominent position in Staffordshire, in the time of the early Plantagenets. William de Mere occurs as High Sheriff of that county, temp. Edward II., and in the next reign, Peter de la Mere filled the Speaker's chair in the House of Commons. At an early period, the family possessed the manor of Maer, co. Stafford, and are also found resident at Norton, in the Moors. The name is spelt, in ancient deeds, de Mere, de Mare, but the more recent orthography is Mayer. " 5

For centuries the township of Lartington in the North Riding of Yorkshire belonged to the Maire family until the 16th century when it was passed by marriage to the Lawsons, of Brough. 4

Early History of the Myer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Myer research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1379, 1453, 1467, 1477, 1544, 1550 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Myer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Myer Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Myer include Maire, Myer, Myers, Mair, Maires, Mayers, Meyers, Meire, Meir, Mere and many more.

Early Notables of the Myer family

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

Myer Ranking

In the United States, the name Myer is the 5,393^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Myer family to Ireland

Some of the Myer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Myer migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Myer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christean Myer, aged 73, who arrived in New York in 1672 7

Myer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caspar Myer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 7
Gasper Myer, who arrived in South Carolina in 1738 7
Saloman Myer, who landed in Carolina in 1738 7
Hans Myer, aged 40, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 7
Johan Reedy Myer, aged 16, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Myer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bartholomew Myer, aged 17, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1832 7
Michael Myer, who landed in New York in 1832 7
Philan Myer, aged 15, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 7
Jacob Myer, aged 50, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1832 7
Margaret Myer, aged 20, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1832 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Myer 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:

Myer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Ludwig Myer, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th August 1859 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Myer (post 1700) +

Sidney Baillieu "Bails" Myer AC (1926-2022), American-born, Australian businessman and philanthropist, he oversaw the merger with GJ Coles & Coy to create Coles Myer, one of the largest retail chains in Australia
Kenneth Baillieu Myer AC DSC (1921-1992), American-born, Australian patron of the arts, humanities and sciences
Jarret Myer (b. 1973), American media entrepreneur
Steve Paul Myer (b. 1954), former professional American football player
James Myer (b. 1951), American documentarist and educational filmmaker
Albert James Myer (1828-1880), American surgeon, United States Army officer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer (1904-1974), American Major League Baseball second baseman
George W. Myer, American politician, Representative from New York 6th District, 1888 9
George J. Myer, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Lisbon, 1906 9
Erskin R. Myer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1944 9
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html