Meier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Germany-Alt
Germany
Israel

The name Meier is a proud symbol of ancient Jewish culture. Before the late Middle Ages, people were known only by a single name. However, as the population increased and travelers set out on their journeys, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves.Two of the most common types of Jewish family names are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The name Meier is a Jewish Ashkenazic name that was originally derived from the Yiddish male given name Meyer. This personal name was in turn derived from the Hebrew name Meir, which means enlightener.

Meier Ranking

In the United States, the name Meier is the 1,816^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Meier is ranked the 7,985^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Meier migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Meier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Paul Meier, who came with his wife and five children to America in 1709
Johannes Meier, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Koenraet Meier, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Paulus Meier, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Catharina Meier, who landed in Carolina in 1734 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Meier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

F Meier, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 3
Franz Meier, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 3
Caspar Meier, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
Adolphus Meier, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
Henriette Meier, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Meier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jacob Meier, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 3
Adolph Wilhelm Meier, who landed in Wisconsin in 1910 3

Meier 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:

Meier Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Heinrich Meier, (b. 1833), aged 23, European settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Meier (post 1700) +

John Paul Meier (1942-2022), American biblical scholar and Roman Catholic priest, Honorary Prelate of the Papal Household by Pope John Paul II in 1994
Naomi "Sally" Meier (1926-1989), American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League outfielder who played from 1946 through 1953
Megan Taylor Meier (1992-2006), American teenager who was a tragic victim of cyber bullying
Paul Meier (1924-2011), American statistician who promoted the use of randomized trials in medicine, co-developer of the Kaplan-Meier estimator
John H. Meier (b. 1933), American financier and business consultant who worked for Howard Hughes
Arthur Ernst "Dutch" Meier (1879-1948), American Major Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1906
Deborah Meier (b. 1931), American educator, generally considered to be the founder of the modern small schools movement
Rob Jack Daniel Meier (b. 1977), Canadian-born, American former professional NFL football player who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2000-2009)
Richard Meier (b. 1934), American abstract artist and architect, awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984
Julius L Meier (1874-1937), American businessman and politician, 20th Governor of Oregon (1931-1935)
... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Meier family +

Bismarck

Karl Meier (1919-1941), German Maschinenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
Heinz Meier (1909-1941), German Leutnant MN. Res. who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
Fritz Meier (1919-1941), German Matrose who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
Alfred Meier (1922-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
Arthur Meier (1900-1941), German Angestellter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

SS Atlantic

Mr. Hector Meier, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Mr. Louis Meier, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details