Contents [hide]

Messer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Messer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The origins the old family name Messer can be found within medieval Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Messer family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Messer was an occupational name for a knife maker. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word messer, meaning knife, and is often attached to the word schmidt, meaning smith or craftsman.

Early Origins of the Messer family

The surname Messer was first found in Austria, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Niklaus Messer of Freiburg in 1369, Peter Messersmidel of Iglau in 1385, and Johann Melczer der Messer of Breslau in 1370. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Messer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Messer research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1685, 1735 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Messer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Messer 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 Messer include Messer, Messen, Messe, Messa, Meser, Messerer, Messerschmidt, Messerschmitt, Messerschmied, Messerle, Messerli, Messerlee, Messerly and many more.

Early Notables of the Messer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Messer were

Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt (1685-1735), a German physician, naturalist and geographer
Lord Messerschmidt, the Lord of Wittbeck and Wittstockin Stolp and adopted son of Major General Friedrich Ferdinand von Arnim (d.1835), who became himself a prominent and much honored major general of...

Messer Ranking

In the United States, the name Messer is the 1,444^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1

Messer migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Messer were

Messer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Messer, who settled in Virginia in 1653
James Messer, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 2

Messer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sylvester Messer, who arrived in America from England in 1701 with his wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters
Sylvester Messer, who immigrated to America in 1709
Koenraet Messer, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Pieter Messer, who landed in New York in 1709 2
Margaretta Messer, who settled in New York City in 1710
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Messer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sebastian Messer, who settled in Baltimore in 1835 with his wife and 3 children
Sebastian Messer, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1845 2
Miss Elizabeth Messer, aged 21, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1847 aboard the ship "Chas. N. Cooper"
W Messer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
Louise Messer, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1854 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Messer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Messer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Carolina Messer, who landed in Quebec in 1850
Maria Messer, who arrived in Quebec in 1850
Wilhelm Messer, who arrived in Quebec in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Messer (post 1700) +

Wilson Messer (1876-1958), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Steuben County 1st District, 1924-36; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1932
Richard H. Messer, American politician, Member of New Hampshire Governor's Council, 1856-58
Richard B. Messer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1892 (alternate), 1896
Lon Messer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1940
John A. Messer Sr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1944, 1948, 1956
F. F. Messer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1920
Dee L. Messer, American politician, Mayor of Coffeyville, Kansas, 2004-05
Alan Luke Messer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 2008
Thomas M Messer (b. 1920), Czech-born American museum director, director of the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, of the Guggenheim Museum (1961-), and was the president of the Society of Art Museum Directors (1974-75), recipient of the Cross of the Order of Merit (West Germany), the Legion d'honneur (1980), and the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art (1981)
Glen Edmund Messer (1895-1995), American aviation pioneer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)