Meyr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancestral home of the Meyr family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Meyr is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a mayor, or elected head of the community. The name stems from the German word "meier," meaning mayor.

Early Origins of the Meyr family

The surname Meyr was first found in southern Germany, where the family was anciently seated. The name referred at first to the representative of the lord of a manor, and later to the administrator or tenant of a small court.

Early History of the Meyr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meyr research. Another 287 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1363, 1400, 1618, 1643, 1646, 1650, 1653, 1689, 1712, 1713, 1725, 1760, 1763, 1786, 1825, 1832, 1845, 1847, 1849, 1857, 1870 and 1898 are included under the topic Early Meyr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meyr Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Meyr include Mayer, Maier, Meyer, Meier, Mayr, Meyr, Myer and many more.

Early Notables of the Meyr family

Prominent among members of the name Meyr in this period include Conrad Meyer (1618-1689), a Swiss painter and engraver from Zurich; Johann Friedrich Mayer (1650-1712), a German Lutheran theologian; Rupert Ignaz Mayr (1646-1712), a German violinist, composer and Kapellmeister in Munich; Hans Heinrich Meyer (1760-1832), a Swiss painter and...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meyr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meyr migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Meyrs to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Meyr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Meyr, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 1
Gustave Meyr, aged 23, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 1
Bernard Meyr, who landed in Iowa in 1884 1

Citations +

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)