Meier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Meier 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 Meier family
The surname Meier was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.
Early History of the Meier family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meier research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1743 and 1753 are included under the topic Early Meier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Meier Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Meier, Meierr, Meieres, Meiers, Meierr, Meierrs, Meierres, Meeier, Mire, Mier, Miere and many more.
Early Notables of the Meier family
Notable figures of the time with the name Meier were
- the Meier family of Prussia
Meier Ranking
In the United States, the name Meier is the 1,816th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Meier is ranked the 7,985th 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
The Meier Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Semper Paratus
Motto Translation: Always prepared.
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