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Maier History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Maier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Maier is an old Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was 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 Maier held the office of Mayor. 1

Early Origins of the Maier family

The surname Maier 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 Maier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maier 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 Maier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maier Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Maier has been recorded under many different variations, including Maire, Myer, Myers, Mair, Maires, Mayers, Meyers, Meire, Meir, Mere and many more.

Early Notables of the Maier family

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

Maier Ranking

In the United States, the name Maier is the 3,021^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Maier is ranked the 5,437^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Maier family to Ireland

Some of the Maier 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.

Maier migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Maier or a variant listed above:

Maier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andries Maier, who arrived in New York in 1709 8
Hans Adam Maier, who landed in New York in 1709 8
Maties Maier, aged 32, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 8
Johann Jacob Maier, who arrived in America in 1747 8
Baltus Maier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Maier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Martin Maier, who arrived in America in 1840-1850 8
Matthias Maier, who landed in America in 1840-1850 8
Franz Jakob Maier, who arrived in North America in 1843 8
Georg Maier, who arrived in Cincinnati, Oh in 1845 8
Anton Maier, aged 30, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Maier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Christian Tobias Maier, who landed in Mississippi in 1906 8
Fred Maier, who arrived in Mississippi in 1906 8
Paul Maier, who arrived in America in 1920 8
Ernst Maier, who arrived in America in 1923 8

Maier migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maier Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Christina Maier, aged 21, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Daniel Maier, aged 19, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Paulina Maier, aged 11, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902

Contemporary Notables of the name Maier (post 1700) +

Werner Lucas Maier (b. 1966), former German American football player
Robert Phillip Maier (1915-1993), American Major League Baseball third baseman
Guy Maier (1891-1956), noted American pianist, composer and arranger
Walter A. Maier (1893-1950), noted American radio personality, public speaker, prolific author, university professor, scholar of ancient Semitic languages and culture, Lutheran theologian and editor
Mitchell William Maier (b. 1982), American Major League Baseball outfielder
Henry Walter Maier (1918-1994), American politician
Henry W. Maier (1918-1994), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Senate 9th District, 1951-60; Candidate for U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1956; Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1960-88 9
David P. Maier, American Republican politician, Candidate for Maryland State Senate 12th District, 1998 9
David Maier, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1924 9
Connie Maier, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1972 9
... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Maier family +

Bismarck

Karl Maier (1919-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10
Hubert Maier (1921-1941), 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 10
Eugen Maier (1922-1941), German Matrose II who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10
Anton Maier (1920-1941), 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 10

Hindenburg LZ-129

Mr. Xaver Maier (1911-1937), German Head Chef from Walldorf, Germany, who worked on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire 11

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Frank Maier, with 3 children, American resident in Santa Clarita who survived when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mrs. Maier, with 3 children, American resident in Santa Clarita who survived when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

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/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.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
Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/