Origin
Meyer : 1: German and Swiss German: from Middle High German meier a status name for a steward bailiff or overseer which later came to be used also to denote a tenant farmer which is normally the sense in the many compound surnames formed with this term as a second element. Originally it denoted a village headman (ultimately from Latin maior ‘greater superior’). This form of the surname is also established in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine); see also 3 below. Compare Maier Mayer Meier and Myer.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Meyer from Hebrew Meir ‘enlightener’ a derivative of or ‘light’ with the prefix m-. Compare Maier Majer Major Mayer Mayor Meier and Meir.3: Dutch: variant also Flemish and Americanized of Meijer a cognate of 1 above. This surname is also established in South Africa where it was also brought from France (see 1 above).4: English: variant of Mayer.5: Danish: variant of Meier 3.
Admire : Americanized form of an unidentified German surname possibly South German or Austrian Ettmayer or Edmaier which is a topographic name for a farmer living near or on previously uncultivated land from the noun Ed ‘uncultivated land’ + mayer meyer ‘farmer’; see Meyer. Alternatively it may be an Americanized form of North German Erdmeier literally ‘earth farmer’.
De Meyer : Flemish (also Demeyer): occupational name from Middle Dutch meyer ‘steward’ (see Meyer) with the definite article de ‘the’. This is also an Americanized form of the Dutch variant De Meijer. The form Demeyer is also found in France (mainly Nord).
Greenamyer : Americanized form of German Grünemeier or Grön(e)meier (see Gronemeyer) a compound name from Middle High German grüene ‘green fresh’ or Middle Low German grōne + Middle High German meier ‘(tenant) farmer’ probably in the early period of surname formation denoting a farmer whose land was in a woodland clearing. In later formations the first element taken from a placename or topographic feature may have been added to distinguish the bearer from other bearers of the common surname Meyer.
Maier : 1: German and Dutch (of German origin): variant of Mayer (see Meyer 1). The German surname in this form is also found in some other European countries e.g. in France (Alsace and Lorraine) and Czechia.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).3: Romanian: of German origin (see Meyer 1).4: Germanized form of Czech Slovenian Croatian Serbian and Hungarian Majer.5: Dutch: variant of Maijer ‘reaper mower’ (see Mayer 6).
Majer : 1: Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian and Serbian; Hungarian (also Májer): status name for a steward bailiff or tenant farmer from a Slavicized or Hungarized form of German Meyer 1 Mayer 4. As a Slovenian surname it is derived from the loanword majer ‘steward bailiff’ which also denoted a hired worker on a forest estate. Compare Maier 4 and Mayer 6.2: Slovak: from majer ‘manor farm estate’ a loanword from German (compare 1 above) probably used to denote a person living and working at the farm. Compare Majernik.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).4: German: variant of Maier 1 (see Meyer 1).5: German: variant of Macher 2.
Major : 1: English (of Norman origin): from the personal name Malg(i)er Maug(i)er an Old French form of ancient Germanic Madalgar(i) (see Mauger).2: Hungarian: from a shortened form of majorosgazda (see Majoros) or a derivative of German Meyer.3: Polish Czech and Slovak: from the military rank major (derived from Latin maior ‘greater’) a word related to English mayor and the German surname Meyer.4: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).5: French (Occitan): from major ‘major’ (from Latin maior ‘greater’) denoting a prominent or important person such as a mayor or the first-born son of a family.6: French Canadian: from major ‘major’ used as a soldier's name (originally in the form Le Major).7: Americanized form of French and Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) Mauger a cognate of 1 above.
Mayer : 1: English (Staffordshire): post-medieval form of Mear which is either a topographic name from Middle English mere ‘pond pool’ (Old English mere) or Middle English mere ‘boundary’ (Old English (ge)mǣre) or a habitational name from one or more of the many places with names derived from these terms such as Mere (Cheshire Lincolnshire Wiltshire) Meir in Caverswall (Staffordshire) and Meare (Somerset).2: English: occupational name for a physician from Old French mire Middle English mire meir meyre originally synonymous with Myer.3: English: occasionally an occupational name for a mayor from Middle English Old French mair(e) (from Latin maior ‘greater superior’; compare Mayor). In France the title denoted various minor local officials and the same is true of Scotland (see Mair 2). In England however the term was normally restricted to the chief officer of a borough and the surname may have been given not only to a citizen of some standing who had held this office but also as a nickname to a pompous or officious person.4: German and Dutch (of German origin): variant of Meyer 1. This form of the surname (or its transliteration) is also established in many other parts of Europe most notably in Russia France (Alsace Lorraine and Nord) and Hungary. Compare Myers.5: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).6: Americanized (or Germanized) form of Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian Serbian Hungarian and German Majer.7: Dutch: variant archaic or Americanized of Maijer an occupational name for a reaper or mower from Middle Dutch mader Dutch maaier.8: Altered form of French Canadian Maillé (see Maille 1).
Mayor : 1: English (Lancashire): variant of Mayer 1.2: Spanish: nickname for an older man or a distinguishing epithet for the elder of two bearers of the same personal name from mayor ‘older’ from Latin maior (natus) literally ‘greater (by birth)’.3: Spanish: occupational or status name from major ‘governor chief’.4: Catalan: variant of Major.5: Jewish (Ashkenazic and Sephardic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).
Meier : 1: German and Dutch: variant of Meyer. The German surname in this form is also found in some other European countries e.g. in France (Alsace and Lorraine) and Poland.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a variant of the personal name Meyer (see Meyer 2).3: Danish: occupational name from meiere ‘reaper harvester’.4: English: variant of Mayer.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
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