Masar Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Masar

What does the name Masar mean?

Masar is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person employed in reaping or harvesting. The name can be traced to the Old French word messier, which meant harvester.

Early Origins of the Masar family

The surname Masar was first found in Lincolnshire where they were one of the noted families of the area. Roger Messer was the first on record in Lincolnshire, in 1172, a little over a century after the Conquest. In 1180 Erkenbald Messer was recorded in the same county. At about the same time Jacobus Mesoart was registered in Normandy. Early in their history a branch of this family moved to Scotland.

Early History of the Masar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Masar research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1296 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Masar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Masar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Masar were recorded, including Messer, Mesher, Messor, Mersser, Masar, Messier, Meisser, Measure and many more.

Early Notables of the Masar family

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

Masar migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Masar arrived in North America very early:

Masar Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Divis Masar, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1911 1

Sources +

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)