Mayer Family History

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Mayer Name Meaning

English: status name for a mayor, 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 1). 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. German and Dutch: variant of Meyer 1. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Meyer 2.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Meyer, Mayor, Layer, Maser, Sayer, Majer, Mader, Hayer, Maier, Mager

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Mayer Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Mayer name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Mayer. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    36%

  • Germanic Europe

    17%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    15%

  • European Jewish

    8%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    6%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Mayer Family Origin

Where is the Mayer family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Mayer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mayer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mayer families were found in the USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 72 Mayer families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 42% of all the recorded Mayer's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Mayer families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mayer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Mayer

    Mayer Family Occupations

    What did your Mayer ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Mayer occupation in the USA was Farmer. 17% of Mayer's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Mayer family was Carpenter. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Mayer.

    View Census data for Mayer | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      17%

    • Laborer

      5%

    • Keeping House

      4%

    • Carpenter

      2%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Mayer ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Mayer Historical Records

    What Mayer family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 272,000 census records available for the last name Mayer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mayer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Mayer

    Passenger List

    There are 88,000 immigration records available for the last name Mayer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Mayer immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 115,000 military records available for the last name Mayer. For the veterans among your Mayer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Mayer military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Mayer family history.

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    Mayer Life Expectancy

    What is the average Mayer lifespan?

    Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Mayer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Mayer in 1940 was 74, and 77 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mayer

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mayer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Mayer Family Ancestors

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