| ![Show Contents]() Mesmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany During the Middle Ages, the surname of Mesmer was used in 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 Mesmer 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 Mesmer was an occupational name for a knife maker having derived from the Old German word messer, meaning knife. Early Origins of the Mesmer familyThe surname Mesmer was first found in Austria, where the name could be considered to have made a great contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of modern Europe. Literally, the name could either mean "one who made knives and daggers," for "Metz" is the mediaeval form of "Messer," or it could mean "one who operates a mill," for "metze" was the medaieval weight scale for foodstuff such as corn and flour. Chronicles first mention one Peter mit der metzen of Glatz in 1356, and a "Mecze" who was the wife of Ramfold von Gersdorf in 1390. Metz is also the Germanized form of the Latin "Mediomatrica," a city on the Moselle River in what was once Westphalia, but is now France, which Caesar described as one of the oldest and most important towns of Gaul. The name "Metzer" then means "from the city of Metz." Strasbourg chronicles mention Conrad Metzer von Hagenau in 1295. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, in which each group sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Early History of the Mesmer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mesmer research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Mesmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mesmer Spelling VariationsMany 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 Mesmer include Metz, Metzmacher, Metzner, Metze, Mets, Metsch and many more. Early Notables of the Mesmer familyAnother 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mesmer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Mesmer 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 Mesmer were
Mesmer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jacob Mesmer, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 1
Mesmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Casper Mesmer, who arrived in New York in 1843 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Mesmer (post 1700) | + |
- Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), German physician
- Friederich Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), Austrian physician
- 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)
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Mesmer migration to the United States 
